Where Should the Castlevania Franchise Go from Here

Happy birthday, Castlevania! It’s hard to believe that Konami’s vampire-slayer series has turned the big 2-5, but indeed, it’s hit that pinnacle. That means one of two things. Number one, we’ve gotten old. Number two, over the years, we’ve seen our fair share of outstanding Castlevania games, from the genre-twisting Symphony of the Night to classic adventures on the SNES and Genesis to the series’ eventual transition into the third dimension with the stellar Lords of Shadow. And with that, we’ve decided to see how the Castlevania legacy has impacted Xbox Live Arcade. Granted, it hasn’t seen every game in the series’ release, and we’ve missed out on stuff like Castlevania Chronicles (which is available on PSN) and countless NES and SNES games (which you can get on WiiWare). But nevertheless, there were three titles released, between retail and Xbox Live Arcade, that solidified Castlevania’s legacy on Microsoft’s machine. Let’s take a look at these three titles, and perhaps mention a few others that we think would be right at home on the Xbox 360.

• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (2007, XBLA) – The Castlevania saga got off on the right foot with an Xbox Live Arcade release of one of the greatest games ever made. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night shifted the direction of the series dramatically, to heights that people never thought possible. The game focuses on Alucard, the son of Dracula, who returns to stop his father once and for all on an epic journey through his castle. And just when you think you’ve got everything figured out, everything shifts on you – literally – and your adventure continues. For 400 Microsoft points ($5), you get a phenomenal value here, even though Konami cut some slight corners at the time to make the game fit on XBLA format. This includes slight graphic and sound procession – but nothing you won’t notice over the course of play. You’re gonna love this.
• Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (2009, XBLA) – For its next downloadable release, Konami opted to take a completely unique route than any other Castlevania game with Harmony of Despair. Though it may look like a traditional game in the series at first – complete with an art style that mimics Symphony of the Night – it’s actually a straightforward action game that leans more towards team cooperation. Trying to play it on your own is along the lines of a suicide mission – possible but very, very difficult. It’s when you co-op with others either locally or online through Xbox Live Arcade, that the game really gets good, as you can team up to take on massive bosses and explore the rooms split between the huge levels. This game’s actually not half bad, and several downloadable levels have been released since that time, including one inspired by the original Castlevania. Check it out if you haven’t already. (On a side note, the PSN version arrives tomorrow, so they can see what all the fuss is about.)
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010, Xbox 360) – With its next Castlevania game, Konami took even further drastic measures in an attempt to prove that a 3D entry in the series could work – despite what previous N64 and PlayStation 2 releases told us. Lords of Shadow, designed in conjunction with MercurySteam and Kojima Productions, turned out to be a remarkable experience along the likes of God of War, with a warrior battling the odds using a variety of super moves and occasional puzzle solving tactics. Credit must go to MercurySteam for putting some fine effort into the game’s level design and boss battles, which will certainly satisfy adventure lovers. The music is also worthwhile to listen to, and the voice cast, which includes Sir Patrick Stewart and Jason Isaacs, perform their job admirably. While there’s a question regarding the game’s overall success, it definitely proved that, with the right teams behind it, Castlevania can work in 3D. Can’t wait to see what the sequel looks like.

And with that, we’re left wondering…what Castlevania games would work on the Xbox Live service? There are several others that we feel would be great as an XBLA/retail release. With that, here are our suggestions:

• Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles – Originally released on the PlayStation Portable, the Dracula X Chronicles would be ideal for XBLA. This side-scrolling actioner was a classic back on TurboDuo, and with its reworked visuals and sound, it was even better on PSP. We feel that a high-definition remake on consoles would be perfect, complete with an inclusion of the original Symphony of the Night, just like the last port had.
• Castlevania Bloodlines – At one point, Bloodlines, which originally appeared on the Sega Genesis, was set for a re-release on the PSP, as announced by Sony during a press conference. It’s since mysteriously disappeared, and who knows where it went. Now would be a good time to suggest said remake for the Xbox Live service. Retouched visuals and music would hit the spot, and, for good measure, we’d happily take the original Genesis version as well.
• Any of the GBA/Nintendo DS games – Since Symphony of the Night fared so well on XBLA, we figure – why not the other great adventure games? We’re talking Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, Portrait of Ruin and Aria of Sorrow. Konami could easily touch up these games with an HD transfer and new music and win over the hardcore fan base at 800 Microsoft points a pop. They could even do a retail package at this point. We’d happily invest.

And with that, we’d like to wish Castlevania a happy 25th anniversary. We can’t wait to see how the next 25 years fare.