24. 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.
23. 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.
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: 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.
20. 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.
19. 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.
18. 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.
17. 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.
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 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.
Comments 26
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.
@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.
My favorite Castlevania is Maid-san o Migi ni - Shooting Star.
Super Castlevania IV for me, one of my favourite games of all time.
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