Since its inception in 1986, Konami's Castlevania has become one of gaming's most recognisable and popular franchises. Many of its instalments are considered amongst the best games of all time, and its impact has been felt well beyond the realm of interactive entertainment – it has recently been turned into a hit animated Netflix series, for example.
However, if you're approaching Castlevania with a fresh pair of eyes, it can be quite daunting; where do you even begin? Which game should you play first? Which should you avoid entirely?
That's where this list comes in; we recently asked you to vote for your favourite Castlevania games, the results of which are presented below. The ranking is based solely on votes submitted by you, our readers – and it's not static; it will change and evolve as more votes come in.
33. Haunted Castle (Arcade)
Released in arcades when the Castlevania series was still in its infancy, Haunted Castle is notorious for being one of the worst games in the franchise. It starts off well enough; the sprites are nice and large (a fact that makes it hard to avoid danger) and there are some amazing tunes here. However, the brutal difficulty level is clearly designed to suck in coins, and the controls feel stiff and awkward. Haunted Castle was never ported at the time of release, but would eventually get a PS2 release in Japan some years later. It was included on the Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection in 2019, and got a stand-alone release as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives range shortly afterwards. Outside of saying you've played it, there's little reason to seek this one out. It's dreadful.
32. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (Xbox 360)
The commercial success of the original Lords of Shadow gave Konami the belief that this sub-series could become a popular franchise in its own right, and the company quickly commissioned MercurySteam to work on a sequel (as well as a side-story in the form of Mirror of Fate for the Nintendo 3DS). The twist here is that the original game's hero, Gabriel Belmont, has become Dracula himself (something that was only revealed in Lord of Shadow's DLC expansion), and the storyline switches between the distant past and present-day. There are some very cool ideas in play here – unlocking Dracula's arsenal of powers is fascinating – but the execution is shoddy, and some of the stealth sections are utterly laughable. Lords of Shadow 2 reviewed poorly upon its release and failed to recapture the commercial success of its predecessor, essentially putting an end to the sub-series and placing the Castlevania franchise in stasis.
31. Castlevania Judgment (Wii)
This ill-advised spin-off tried to take the Castlevania universe into the realm of one-on-one fighters, and Konami even went as far as to enlist the assistance of Bloody Roar studio Eighting. The end result was a truly disastrous attempt to broaden the appeal of the franchise; Castlevania Judgment's full-3D control method means it feels more like Power Stone than Virtua Fighter, and it's often hard to keep track of what's going on. The motion controls feel tacked on, too, while the fighting action lacks impact and excitement. To cap it all off, the character designs by Takeshi Obata (Death Note) are totally at odds with the traditional look of the series. A critical and commercial bomb at release, Castlevania Judgment is effortlessly one of the worst games in the entire franchise. One to avoid.
30. Castlevania: The Adventure (GB)
When Nintendo released the Game Boy in 1989, it took a while for developers to really get to grips with the limitations of the system's monochrome screen. Titles like Super Mario Land kept sprites small and backgrounds plain to avoid issues with blur, while Konami opted to slow things down for one of its first Game Boy outings, Castlevania: The Adventure. Despite Masato Maegawa's involvement (he would go on to co-found Treasure not long afterwards), Castlevania: The Adventure has to rank as one of the worst entries in the series. The gameplay is sluggish, the level design uninspired and the controls painful. Only a decent soundtrack saves this one from the scrapheap. Japanese developer M2 would later remake the game as Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, but it shares few similarities with the Game Boy original, beyond its title and lead character, Christopher Belmont.
29. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES)
While Vampire Killer on the MSX2 was a bold stab at turning Castlevania into an RPG-like experience that ultimately failed, Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest is far more successful, even if it doesn't quite stick the landing. The level-by-level structure of the original game is gone, with the player capable of exploring a non-linear 2D landscape at will. There are townspeople to converse with (most of whom spout nonsense), items to collect and even a day-and-night cycle to contend with. The big issues are that the game is ridiculously obtuse, with some form of walkthrough guide being a must, and there are large portions of the game which simply aren't enjoyable. Simon's Quest is saved by its amazing music and totally unique premise; it's amazing that Konami was so keen to experiment with the series at such an early juncture, and while it would revert to a more 'traditional' approach for subsequent entries, Simon's Quest was clearly an influence when it came to creating 1997's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
28. Castlevania Legends (GB)
Released in the wake of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's astonishing critical success, Castlevania Legends introduces the first mainline female hero, Sonia Belmont – she's also technically the first-ever Belmont to fight Dracula, although this particular plot point was revoked when Koji Igarashi became the producer of the series, and the game's story became non-canon. Following the amazing Belmont's Revenge was no easy task, and in all fairness, Legends is an inferior outing in almost every regard, bar the fact that it came with battery back-up so you could save your progress. The visuals, controls and music are all worse than they are in Belmont's Revenge, but that hasn't stopped Legends from becoming one of the most desirable and expensive Game Boy games. It's worth a look, but only via emulation.
27. Vampire Killer (MSX)
Released on the MSX2 home computer system around the same time that Castlevania hit the Famicom Disk System in Japan, Vampire Killer – to give the game its European title – is a rather unusual attempt to expand the original game in new and interesting ways, and proves that right from the beginning, Konami was clearly aware that Castlevania was a franchise which could easily evolve beyond its action-platforming origins. The problem is that this attempt to create a sort of action-RPG hybrid is badly undone by its non-linear structure (which involves searching looping levels in order to find keys) and the MSX2's infamous inability to handle smooth scrolling – screens 'flip' from one to the other when you reach the edge of a room. It's an interesting historical footnote, but beyond that, Vampire Killer isn't worth the eye-watering price the original version now changes hands for.
26. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (3DS)
Nestled in-between the events of the original Lords of Shadow and its disappointing sequel, Mirror of Fate returns to the Metroidvania roots of the GBA and DS entries. Assuming the roles of three heroes, you must battle your way through Dracula's fortress in a trio of timelines. The heavy focus on combat is carried over from the mainline Lords of Shadow games, and many reviewers took issue with the way in which this slowed down the gameplay. However, the visuals remain incredible and the production values are stunning. While it's arguably not as polished as the likes of Dawn of Sorrow or Portrait of Ruin, Mirror of Fate is still worth a look – and it's worth noting that developer MercurySteam has since gone on to find great success in this genre with Metroid: Samus Returns (also on the 3DS) and Metroid Dread on the Switch.
25. Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES)
Although it's described by many as a 'port' of the PC Engine Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, Castlevania: Dracula X (Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss in Europe) is more of a complete re-imagining. Some elements are similar – the opening stage, for example – but, for the most part, this SNES title radically changes things, and not always for the better. The branching levels are gone, as is the ability to play as Maria (and save the other female hostages). Some of the redesigned levels simply don't work, making them an exercise in frustration. On the bright side, it's visually quite appealing – especially when you consider that Konami didn't have the vast storage space that a CD affords here – and the music is wonderful. The Castlevania name means that second-hand copies of this are expensive in all of its region variants, but it was thankfully included on the Castlevania Advance Collection, so you don't have to spend a fortune to check it out.
24. Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (N64)
Outside of the addition of Cornell, this really isn't a full sequel to Castlevania 64, but more of an enhanced version. Much of the game remains unchanged, which means that most people should pick this over the original if they're interested in either title, as Legacy of Darkness really does make its predecessor redundant. While having another storyline to play through is welcome, Legacy of Darkness doesn't do a great deal to correct what was wrong with Castlevania 64, and the attempts it does make at providing something superior – such as support for the N64's RAM upgrade for higher resolution – are undone; the game's frame rate tanks when the RAM pak is installed, making it hard to play. Time has not been kind to either of the N64 Castlevania entries, but it's unfair to write them off entirely.
23. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (PS3)
Upon first inspection, one might assume that this title marks a return to Castlevania's glorious 2D roots, but Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is actually a multiplayer-focused action title that encourages you to seek loot as you explore each of the six available stages. While the ability to play with friends is fun, it never really gets close to capturing that classic Castlevania 'feel', and ends up being more of an experiment with Monster Hunter-style team-based mechanics. If you own an Xbox One of Series X/S, then you can play Castlevania: Harmony of Despair via the wonders of backwards compatibility – but we wouldn't suggest for a second you should go out of your way in order to do so.
22. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PS2)
Perhaps stung by the lukewarm reception afforded to Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Koji Igarashi redoubled his efforts with another 3D action-adventure, this time set soon after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse – a game Igarashi has a particular fondness for. You're not controlling a Belmont this time (although Trevor Belmont does become playable in the game); instead, you assume the role of Hector, a former ally of Dracula who just so happens to look a bit like Alucard (Ayami Kojima sure does like to draw men with long white hair). The combat has been improved over Lament of Innocent, and the RPG elements which were missing from that game have returned, but Igarashi and his team still didn't give the player a fun world to explore. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness' levels are mostly barren and uninteresting, making them a real chore to navigate – especially when you consider that Hector doesn't move as quickly as you'd like. While the game introduces many characters who have since become famous thanks to Netflix Castlevania series – including Hector's foe Issac and the mysterious Saint-Germain – Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is yet another title in the series which can't quite match the glory of its 8, 16-bit and 32-bit predecessors, despite running on superior hardware. As a side note, the game was also released on the Xbox, but it's sadly not backwards-compatible so you can't play it on your Xbox 360, Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S.
21. Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2)
It's fair to say that the two N64 Castlevania titles were fairly awkward attempts to reimagine the series in 3D, but that didn't put Konami off. With Koji Igarashi and his Konami Tokyo team at the helm – and Ayami Kojima on board for character design work – Castlevania: Lament of Innocence was subject to considerable hype prior to release; could this finally be the game that took the Metroidvania template and bring it into the third dimension? Sadly, it wasn't the case – but it's not like the game is a complete write-off. Leon Belmont, the hero, controls especially well here, with Igarashi clearly taking a leaf out of Devil May Cry's book when it comes to combat. Michiru Yamane's music is also excellent, and the game generally nails the Castlevania vibe pretty effectively. The glaring issue is that the castle you explore isn't some massive, interconnected location, but rather individual stages – and they're all quite boring to explore. The RPG elements introduced in Symphony of the Night have also been scaled back dramatically, giving you little reason to investigate the nooks and crannies of the fortress; instead, the game has to fall back on the aforementioned combat, which, while well-designed, isn't enough to carry the entire game. Like the N64 titles, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is still worth a play, but it's sadly nowhere near the classic it could have been.
20. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (PS3)
By the time that Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia arrived on the Nintendo DS, it was clear that the series needed refreshing; while the quality of the Metroidvania titles was never in doubt, the commercial fortunes of the franchise had arguably never been lower; keen to reinvigorate Castlevania, Konami rebooted the lineage with Lords of Shadow, a game which was reportedly developed initially as a new IP before being turned into a Castlevania. Spanish studio MercurySteam worked with producer David Cox and the legendary Hideo Kojima on what would ultimately become a 3D action title, not entirely dissimilar to Sony's God of War franchise. While the core components are in place – the Belmonts feature, as you might expect – Lords of Shadow is considered to exist within its own universe, rather than tie in directly with the main Castlevania timeline. While some hardcore fans reject the Lords of Shadow sub-series out of hand, there's no denying that it did what Konami intended; the game sold fantastically well and spawned two direct sequels.
19. Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare)
Part of Konami's 'ReBirth' series – which also includes Contra and Gradius – this M2-coded offering has very little to do with the Game Boy original, outside of the fact that it showcases Christopher Belmont in the lead role. A return to the hand-drawn 2D visuals of the classic entries in the series, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth plays like a dream – although it can be somewhat brutal at points and, with only six stages, doesn't offer the same amount of content as, say, Bloodlines or Dracula X. It's also no longer available for purchase as Nintendo has long since closed the Wii eShop; fingers are firmly crossed that Konami sees sense and republishes all of the ReBirth titles on modern-day systems.
18. Castlevania (NES)
The original and the best? Perhaps not, but Castlevania put down an enduring template that mixed Universal monster movie shlock with brilliant tunes and tight, satisfying whip-based combat. Very much like Super Mario Bros., the original Castlevania is a game that laid down the foundations of an entire series. Sure, subsequent titles have refined and evolved the core concept, but Castlevania – just like Mario's first 'Super' adventure – remains playable and enjoyable, even today. It's certainly not perfect – the difficulty is maddening at times and the controls feel incredibly stiff by modern standards – but the challenging gameplay, foreboding atmosphere and amazing soundtrack all pull together to create a true classic which has aged surprisingly well.
17. Castlevania Chronicles (PS1)
Originally released on the Japan-only Sharp X68000 home computer in 1993 as Akumajō Dracula, Castlevania Chronicles was later remade on the PlayStation following the critical success of Symphony of the Night. The original X68000 is included, but the main draw is the updated version of the game, complete with new artwork by Ayami Kojima and an arranged soundtrack by Sōta Fujimori. Castlevania Chronicles caught some criticism at the time of release as many 'new' fans of the series were expecting a bolder Metroidvania-style adventure; however, those who adore the old-school outings will find a lot to love here.
16. Castlevania Anniversary Collection (Switch eShop)
Despite the sheer volume of solid gold hits in the series, Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a somewhat mixed bag from Konami in terms of games you'll actually play, as stone-cold classics share the spotlight with a couple of undead clunkers that should remain dead and buried. Still, from a completionist and preservation standpoint, the inclusion of Castlevania: The Adventure is appreciated and the 'highs' on offer are among the highest points in the entire franchise, with a Western debut for Kid Dracula being a particularly lovely treat for retro gamers looking for something new. As long as you’re willing to ignore the lesser titles in this package and you're not too bummed out by the omission of other classic entries, you’re going to have a very good time with what’s left. Best paired with Castlevania Advance Collection.
15. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)
Just like it did with the original Game Boy, Konami was an early supporter of the Game Boy Advance, supplying Konami Krazy Racers and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for the system's launch. The latter gained the most interest back in 2001, largely because it was the first Castlevania to emulate the 'Metroidvania' approach that Symphony of the Night had popularized in 1997, although it's worth noting that the development team was different, with Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe in charge instead of Konami's Toyko studio. Despite some dark visuals (which were frustratingly hard to see on the unilluminated display of the original Game Boy Advance) and some simplified mechanics, Circle of the Moon is a decent attempt at taking the Metroidvania concept into the portable realm; while it pales in comparison to Symphony of the Night and some of its later Metroidvania successors, it's still an entertaining romp, and can be played on modern systems as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection.
14. Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (GB)
After the crushing disappointment that was Castlevania: The Adventure, Konami pulled out all of the stops with this Game Boy sequel. It plays like a dream, with highly responsive controls and some brilliantly designed levels which use vertical space just as effectively as horizontal space. The ability to choose how you tackle the stages, Mega Man-style, is also welcome, and the music is so good it's almost criminal that it's relegated to the relatively humble Game Boy audio hardware. Arguably one of the best Game Boy games of all time, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge is an essential play for all fans of the franchise – it's also worth a fair bit on the secondary market these days.
13. Castlevania: Bloodlines (MD)
Available on Switch as part of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, as well as with the NSO Expansion Pack, Castlevania: Bloodlines — or Castlevania: The New Generation as it was known in Europe — has the distinction of being the only series entry to grace SEGA's 16-bit console. While Dracula X would show the world what Konami could achieve in the realm of CD-ROM, Bloodlines – which was released around the same time – would prove that the company's staff could make Sega's 16-bit hardware sing. Konami pledged its support to the Mega Drive / Genesis around this time after years of being committed to Nintendo, and while this instalment feels slightly different from what went before, it's still an utterly fantastic take on the series. Set around the period of World War I, it attempts to link up the Castlevania narrative with the events of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel. However, it's the globe-trotting nature of the game – levels take place across Europe, including Greece, France and finally England – which makes it stand out. Michiru Yamane – whose compositions have become synonymous with the series – began her association with Castlevania here, and despite the comparative weakness of the Mega Drive sound hardware compared to that of the SNES, she delivers some of the best tunes in the franchise.
12. Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (GBA)
Following the non-canon exploits of Circle of the Moon, series producer Koji Igarashi took control of the next Game Boy Advance entry, bringing on-board Symphony of the Night artist Ayami Kojima to handle the character design. As if this reunion wasn't enough, protagonist Juste Belmont looks a lot like Alucard, which got a lot of people excited that this would be the true successor to Symphony of the Night. Unfortunately, in a lot of ways, Harmony of Dissonance is a step backwards from Circle of the Moon. The sprites are larger, sure, but the garish visuals are quite jarring – an attempt by Konami to avoid the criticisms levelled at Circle of the Moon regarding its dark graphics. Dracula's castle is also quite dull to explore, and the game feels empty and uninteresting as a result. It's still enjoyable if you're a fan of the Metroidvania entries, but it's perhaps the weakest of the lot.
11. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)
After the deviation that was Simon's Quest, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse returns to the level-by-level approach seen in the 1986 original, but evolves the concept in every conceivable way. There are now four characters to control – Simon Belmont's ancestor Trever, female magic-user Sypha Belnades, pirate Grant Danasty and Alucard, the half-vampire, half-human son of Dracula himself. Trevor can switch to one of these companions during a level and benefit from their unique powers. This adds to the gameplay considerably, as does the fact that your path through the game branches in places, offering plenty of replay value. Add in some of the best visuals and music ever seen in a NES game, and it's easy to see why so many Castlevania fans consider Dracula's Curse to be the pinnacle of the series, at least in terms of the more 'traditional' entries before Symphony of the Night shook things up in 1997.
10. Castlevania Advance Collection (Switch eShop)
It’s mostly the sublime Aria of Sorrow that’s doing the heavy lifting with Castlevania Advance Collection; it really is one of the best entries in the entire Castlevania series. Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance are alright but on a lower tier, while Dracula X is middling even on its own standards. These are still very much worth playing, though, and this collection makes for an essential purchase for both longtime Castlevania fans and newbies.
9. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
Following the footsteps of Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin positions itself as a sequel to the Mega Drive title Castlevania: Bloodlines, and is set in the aftermath of the First World War. It's a 'Metroidvania' again, but this time, the game is sub-divided into various worlds which are accessed by jumping into various pictures. Because the developers aren't limited themselves to the traditional castle, it means they can be inventive with level designs – one stage takes place in Egypt, for example. Another near touch is the fact that you're controlling not one character, but two; Jonathan Morris is your typical whip-wielding Belmont–alike, while Charlotte uses magical attacks. You can toggle between them at will, and there are some puzzles that require the use of both characters. There's definitely the feeling that Portrait of Ruin contains a lot of needless padding-out, but like all three of the DS Metroidvania efforts, it's still worthy of your attention.
8. Super Castlevania IV (SNES)
In Europe, Super Castlevania IV actually released before Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which gives you some indication of why so many fans directly compare them, despite the power difference between the NES and SNES. On many levels, Super Castlevania IV – which is essentially a retelling of the original game – scales things back. There are no branching pathways and Simon Belmont is the only character you get to control. However, in practically every other respect, Super Castlevania IV is the better of the two games. The visuals and music are taken to an entirely new level thanks to the power of the console, with the soundtrack, in particular, being one of the best you'll hear on any cartridge-based system. The gameplay – which makes good use of the SNES' Mode 7 capabilities – is also tight and engaging, even if it's perhaps a little less challenging than the NES entries. A true classic.
7. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is a 2.5D remake of the legendary 1993 PC Engine title Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, which, for a long time, was totally exclusive to Japan. The core game is retooled drastically, with the anime art style of the original being replaced by Ayami Kojima's more mature designs. While the new visuals arguably haven't aged as well as the 2D graphics of the PC Engine version, it's still well worth a play – and even if you don't fancy the remake, the fact that Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night are included as unlockable extras makes this an essential purchase for Castlevania fans, and followers of the action adventure genre in general.
6. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (TG-16)
The first Castlevania game to leverage the storage power of CD-ROM, Dracula X: Rondo of Blood sort of picks up where Castlevania III left off. The branching pathways are back, as is the ability to play as someone other than a Belmont. However, what makes Dracula X so appealing is the way it uses the power of the CD to offer a staggering level of presentation. Animated cutscenes abound, and each stage feels fresh and different. The soundtrack, too, benefits immensely from the fact that it's no longer constrained by the limitations of cartridge media. While the bright, anime-style character designs aren't quite as moody and atmospheric as they should be, Dracula X's position as one of the greatest games in the series is secure thanks to its impeccably-designed levels, fantastic visuals and gorgeous music. The game was later remastered for PSP in the form of Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, but the 2.5D visuals have aged much worse than the 2D ones of the original game. Thankfully, The Dracula X Chronicles includes both the PC Engine version of the game and Symphony of the Night as unlockables.
5. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)
The Nintendo DS trilogy of Metroidvanias is rounded off by this offering, which features a female protagonist and a structure that calls to mind the likes of Simon's Quest. Ayami Kojima wasn't hired to do character designs but replacement Masaki Hirooka does a good job of mimicking the style, avoiding the anime-like art seen in the previous two DS adventures. Order of Ecclesia was something of a divisive release at the time; many hailed it as the best of the DS trio, while others bemoaned the fact that the format had become very stale by this point, and that Ecclesia was too reliant on quests and its map was too disjointed to be satisfying to explore. Over time, it has become one of the most well-respected of the handheld Castlevanias and is worth a look if you can pick it up for a reasonable price.
4. Castlevania Requiem (PS4)
With two brilliant retro games in one bundle, the gameplay in Castlevania Requiem is excellent. As a starting point to the 1792 Dracula X story-line, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is a fantastic 1993 example of the traditional NES Castlevania's arcade, platforming template, which shouldn't be missed. However, Castlevania Requiem disappoints with a lack of extras like developer interviews, or an art museum. It's contentious that Castlevania Requiem is based on the Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles' version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, because it alters the original PSone's voice acting and script, although pleasingly the PSP version enables you to unlock a playable version of Maria Renard. The PS4 Trophy list deserves special mention for giving extra incentive to explore both games more thoroughly. The simplest way to recommend Castlevania Requiem is by acknowledging that it includes one of PSone's best ever games, in 1997's frightfully superb Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
3. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)
Given the amazing critical response to Aria of Sorrow on the GBA, it made sense for Konami to create a sequel for Nintendo's new handheld, the DS. Dawn of Sorrow feels very much like Aria but on steroids; the visuals are massively improved and are much closer to those seen in Symphony of the Night, while Masahiko Kimura (Castlevania 64)'s soundtrack is also much more refined (even if it's not quite up there with the best of the franchise). The 'Soul' system from Aria makes a return and the game is impressively proportioned, but the technical gimmicks – such as having to draw seals on the touch screen to kill bosses and the WiFi system (which is now unavailable as Nintendo has taken the DS' wireless portal offline) – don't add much to the experience. It's also a shame that Ayami Kojima wasn't invited back to do the character artwork; instead, we get a very basic 'anime' cast of characters that lack charm. Despite its shortcomings – and the feeling that the whole 'Metroidvania' template is growing stale by this point – Dawn of Sorrow is still an excellent game.
2. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
Following Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance – both of which fell short of hitting the same highs of Symphony of the Night – Koji Igarashi and his team returned to the Game Boy Advance with Aria of Sorrow, a game which many fans consider to be the second best 'Metroidvania' in the franchise. The action takes place in 2035, but the setting is still resolutely gothic, with little in the way of modern or futuristic elements. Aria of Sorrow's 'Soul System' offers an incredible amount of replayability, and the sheer number of items, weapons and pieces of gear to collect is staggering – even more so when you consider this is a portable release. While it never quite beats Symphony of the Night in terms of scale, it's a match in many other ways and is a must-play for all fans of the series, and Metroidvania genre. Aria of Sorrow is included on the Castlevania Advance Collection, which is good, because the Game Boy Advance original is prohibitively expensive these days.
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1)
Castlevania was at something of a crossroads in 1997. The advent of 32-bit consoles like the PlayStation and Saturn had introduced a new era of 3D visuals, and many of gaming's biggest franchises were shedding their 2D origins and embracing the world of three dimensions. When Konami revealed that its first 32-bit Castlevania title would still be 2D in nature, there was some degree of apathy in certain parts of the gaming world – but Symphony of the Night proved such doubters wrong. It's unquestionably one of the best video games of all time, skillfully mixing traditional Castlevania gameplay with the exploration and gear-gating of Super Metroid (hence the term 'Metroidvania') whilst adding in hundreds of items to collect and an RPG-style levelling system.
The scope of Symphony of the Night is truly staggering, even by modern standards; fully uncovering every inch of Dracula's castle is an undertaking that will consume weeks of your life. The presentation is arguably Konami's 2D zenith; superbly-animated sprites and beautiful backdrops abound, while the music also represents some of the finest audio in the Castlevania canon. While programmer Koji Igarashi – who would later become series producer – iterated on the 'Metroidvania' concept with his GBA and DS outings, none of them really overtake Symphony of the Night in terms of brilliance. That's why we consider it to be the best Castlevania game of all time.
A Japan-exclusive Saturn port was released in 1998 which added in new levels and the ability to play as Maria, but it is also saddled with longer loading times and weaker visuals overall. Castlevania Requiem on the PS4 bundles the game with Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, and Symphony of the Night was also included on the earlier PSP collection, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. Finally, it's worth noting that we nearly got a port for Tiger's ill-fated Game.com handheld, which was cancelled before launch and recently rediscovered.
Comments 25
Good list. Though personally I liked Lords of Shadow (sacrilege I know) and would have it above Castlevania NES and GB entries. I know which i've enjoyed replaying more recently.
@themightyant Same here. I really liked the three Lords of Shadow games, but the first one I think it is pretty underrated in the series.
TBH, back in the day, I LOVED Lament of Innocence. It was one of the few PS2 games which I bought day one.
I played it recently (via the PS3 port) and it has hold up really well, IMO. It has great music too! It was exciting to see a 3D Castlevania on the PS2.
@HarmanSmith Yeah it was a bit long... 2 slow swamp levels! and could have done with a bit of cutting but it was a stunning game, with a great story and excellent combat. Obviously a huge departure from the 2D Metroidvania style but for me a huge improvement over most of the 3D efforts.
Mirror of Fate was a solid entry on the 3DS, Lords of Shadow 2 was pretty disappointing though. Didn't get close to the first game, and all the stories of mismanagement, devs angry and leaving really showed in the final product. The first felt like a labour of love the last the opposite sadly. Still enjoyed bits of it.
Can't argue with this! I don't think anything will ever top Symphony of the Night, and Konami certainly doesn't seem keen to even try.
Damn Damien!! This must have taken some time to put together! Great top 10, by the way. Good work!!
NINJA APPROVED
Wow, such a great series! Honestly, if you play any of the games in the top 15, I think you're guaranteed to have a good time.
I still think the 1st Lords of Shadow and the 3ds entry are 2 of the most underrated games out there.
I thought Bloodlines was too low on the NL list, it is easily a top 10. Thankfully that is corrected on this one.
I have not played all the games on this list, but in addition to Bloodlines, I find I go back and play the original quite a bit along with the other NES ones too.
@BloodNinja Thanks, it did take a while... and picking the ranking was hard!
@Damo I will always maintain that the N64 games are somewhat underrated these days, for the time they were very good 3D action titles with pretty great performance compared to many others back then.
Still my top 3 will revolve around Super Castlevania IV, Rondo of Blood and Symphony of The Night and it's a shame Rebirth is locked to the Wii as an official release
Interesting overview of a great series, played all of the GBA and DS games as well as the original NES game back in the day, but can't even remember how many times I've played and beat Symphony of the Night, most recently on my PS5
I do love Castlevania, the good ones at least. Though, for me, one of the "good" ones just doesn't do anything for me, and that's Castlevania 4. Some say, it's because I didn't play it in its time. I also didn't play Bloodlines or Rondo in their time, and I love those. In fact, I've started to see those who love CV4 put Bloodlines ahead of it. I ended up playing Rondo, Bloodlines, and CV4 at around the same time. I didn't like the level design in relation to the multi-way whipping. In fact, the most enjoyment I could get from the game involved not using that feature except when absolutely necessary. I also did not like about half of the soundtrack. The attempts to be cinematic just didn't work in my opinion in various stages and some music just felt inappropriate to me for a Castlevania game, though that's with the benefit of hindsight. It's weird how much of an outlier CV4 is for me and I really did want to like it(more classic CV is a good thing).
Aside from that, I like the other popular games in the franchise. Rondo, Bloodlines, and CV3 are fantastic games in the classic style. Aria of Sorrow, and all three DS games are great. Symphony is a masterpiece. And a couple of years back, I finally got around to trying Chronicles, and I liked that one a lot too. I was worried it would be too much like CV4, but it was more classic feeling and I really love the music in it, especially the FM.
I just bought SotN on series s. Whenever there's a lull, I'll get around to it. Or even during Halloween.
Super Castlevania, on Snes will always be my favourite. Absolute classic in every way to me.
What's the bets the article puts Bloodlines above IV.
I just have a feeling with the way the narrative around these two consoles is being more and more distorted in recent times.
I think IV really is the better the game overall, where it just feels more like a great and cinematic experience vs an also great but very obviously gamey experience, if that makes sense. It's all about the way it looks and sounds, with the difference akin to watching a film at the cinema (IV) vs watching a movie on your home TV (Bloodlines) imo, and I guess to some degree how it plays too. Or, maybe it's a bit like playing an old-school arcade game (Bloodlines) vs playing a slightly more modern console game (IV), with IV being more like a taste of the future of gaming rather than the past, despite it coming out around three years before Bloodlines. It's hard to explain, but anyone who gets what I'm talking about will know exactly what I'm talking about.
Note: And I did try playing them both again recently, just to make sure I was seeing them with fresh eyes, and indeed hearing them with fresh ears and playing them with fresh hands.
Now, let's see if I'm right or wrong about which one appears higher on the list. . . .
Edit: Well, I was wrong about that assumption.
The article actually got it correct.
@sdelfin Hmmm, what is it I'm sniffing here. . . .
The NES Castlevanias are underrated as they always are, I see. Just once I’d like to see the original beat Castlevania 4… and Simon’s Quest crack the top 10 (and Castlevania 3 in its rightful place at #3, tied with Rondo, of course).
Love this list though. Oh the hours I’ve spent with the Belmont clan over the years!
@RetroGames While I obviously have a different preference, you nailed it when you said CV4 is more of a cinematic product while Bloodlines is more of a game. That's exactly why I prefer it. Ever since I played these games, I always pointed out that I don't think the level design quite works in CV4, unless I only whip forward, like I mentioned. I also used a hack to replace the tracks I didn't like with Rondo's music. Even then, I thought it was still a ways off from Bloodlines and Rondo. I recognize that CV4 has many fans, and plenty of them highly enthusiastic, so this is just a case where specific game design didn't work for me. I suspect that Konami likely got mixed feedback since they basically built directly upon CV3 for the other games that followed this.
@sdelfin I didn't say Bloodlines was more of "game"; I said it was more of a "gamey" experience.
There's nuince between how you've misinterpreted that and how I actually meant it.
Castlevania IV is absolutely still pure game too, and a brilliant one at that, but it's also that bit more cinematic and future-facing on top of the more traditional and sometimes a bit more dated game experiences that it built upon imo. It's like, once I stepped up to the next generation of technically more matured visuals and audio that was the Castlevania IV game experience, it was hard to step backwards slightly with Bloodlines, even if there was more overt graphical arcadey-style effects and tricks in the later game to try and distract me from the more dated looking, sounding and indeed playing nature of it for the most part, even as good a game as it was in its own right.
To be clear, whatever your own tastes, there's not a negative to be pulled out of the way I specifically was using the descriptors of IV up there.
@RetroGames I knew how you meant that originally. I just didn't like the term. Nothing more. I only decided to reply on this topic when you made the comparison between Bloodlines being more like an older arcade game because I think that's a fair way to put it. In this situation, it's what I prefer, as is clear from my earlier points and the games I prefer. It's one of the earliest examples of a game that was largely well received that I didn't like specifically because of what other people liked(the whipping, the soundtrack). So I wasn't trying to find a negative in your explanation. I just think this divide makes for interesting discussion.
Good reminder that I still need to beat Belmont's Revenge on my GB Pocket
@RetroGames Yeah I agree. I think people have really praised Bloodlines disproportionately in recent years. I love the Genesis but Bloodlines looks downright ugly at times and it's basically "more of the same". I like it but Super Castlevania IV is the superior game with much deeper game play. If I'm remembering the making of video from strafefox correctly, Bloodlines was rushed to market so it was incomplete in a lot of ways and it shows.
Pleasantly surprised by this ranking. Top 5 is ironclad.
Lords of Shadow 2 and Mirror of Fate is two of my favorite Castlevanias. Are they perfect? No especially the former has its issues, but it still have some of the best boss fights ever imo to counter that.
The Igavanias are not my cup of tea, but of the 2D action Castlevania I do like the two Gameboy titles; The Adventure and II Belmont's Revenge plus Bloodlines and Rondo of Blood.
@BloodNinja This list is based on average user scores after all so it can't have been THAT hard to put together, just saying.
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