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Castlevania is a video games series developed and published by Konami. The series first debuted on September 26, 1986 in Japan, with the release of Demon Castle Dracula for the Famicon. A version of the game was ported over to the MSX 2 platform later in the same year. Castlevania had to wait though, for it's North American release on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987 before it gathered any International recognition. The series soon became a recognized landmark in
action platforming games and has since gathered a rather large cult following. The Castlevania series is highly regarded among gamers and has remained popular since it original release.
The early games in the Castlevania series borrowed material and influences from classic horror cinema. Later on the series has moved on to be influenced heavily by Gothic fiction and dark romanticism, and the most recent DS outing has adopted an anime inspired art direction.
The Castlevania series is one of Konami's most famous and successful franchises, and various games has been released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Saturn, PC Engine, PlayStation, Playstation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, PSP, MSX2, C64, Sharp X6800, C64, and PC platforms.
Characters
The first outing of the Castlevania series, the original Castlevania for the NES, was a typical platform game in where the player controlled the game's protagonist Simon Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont Clan (see characters section). Simon ventures inside Castlevania, a vast demonic castle ruled by Count Dracula, where he fights supernatural beasts on his way to Dracula. He eventually makes his way through the castle interior to the top of the Castle, where the final boss fight traditionally is (most often, Dracula himself) in the Castlevania games. Belmont has to slay the evil Count Dracula using a family relic passed down generation to generation named the "Vampire Killer", which was blessed with the power to destroy vampires and other creatures of the night. Simon and the game's other heroes also possesses secondary weapons, powered by hearts, which can be found by destroying candles (and enemies in later games).
The first sequel, Castlevania II. Simon's Quest, introduced several RPG elements, such as a non-linear world the player was free to explore and revisit, the ability to purchase supplies, equipment and weapon upgrades in various small towns, and (more importantly) a leveling up system.
The third game, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, returned to the traditional style and gameplay of the original game while updating it with new features such as alternate paths with new stages and multiple playable characters. It also introduced support characters, allies to fight alongside with the Belmonts together against Dracula and his evil minions.
The biggest turning point for the series in terms of gameplay mechanics and physics was the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
By using a wide-open world that the player was free to explore, similar to that seen previously in Super Metroid, Symphony of the Night popularized what is now commonly referred to as the "Metroidvania" style of gameplay, where the player is allowed to roam free in the game's environment but was only allowed access to a small number of areas at first. The rest of the game's areas are reached by doing certain tasks, such as completing a boss fight or finding objects and new abilities that let the player access new areas. This, combined with console RPG elements such as experience levels, hit points and magic points, usable items and the collection of new powers and abilities, weapons, armour and various items defines this style.
In addition to reinventing the technical aspects of Castlevania, Symphony of the Night adopted an entirely new art direction for the Castlevania world in which the games took place and the characters within them. With the joining of illustrator and concept artist Ayami Kojima onto the development team beginning with Symphony of the Night, the design underwent a total transformation into an elegant, beautiful appearance inspired by the European Baroque art periods (a style popular in Japan), effectively ending its previous Gothic horror theme. As such, the characters' dress and condition evolved into grand ensembles including flowing jackets and vests, and the imagery, landscape of the castle, and other game locations became lush and lavish.
The two Nintendo DS Castlevania games' art style reverted back to a more anime-inspired and simpler style similar to that of the original Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Through this, Konami hoped to broaden the player demographic by not discouraging slightly presumably younger DS gaming audience to be put off by the otherwise mature image of Kojima's art.
The first game in the series made with 3D graphics were Castlevania (64) and Castlevania : Legacy of Darkness, both on the Nintendo 64. The reception they received were mixed at best, and sales were lackluster. These games are not as highly regarded by fans and are not often recognized or referred to positively. Symphony of the Night, as well as Dawn of Sorrow & Portrait of Ruin, both on the DS, also occasionally used 3D backgrounds.
Series creator and director Koji Igarashi has stated his interest in returning to the more traditional style of the earlier games in the series.
Chronology - Castlevania Storyline
When Koji Igarashi took over as producer for the series, he revised the
timeline and removed Castlevania Legends, the Nintendo 64 game in the
series along with Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania:
Circle of Moon. (Reasons unknown).
With the release of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Konami of America included a pre-order bonus "20th Anniversary" package that includes a Castlevania series timeline.
Below is the timeline provided by this bonus package.
The Castlevania franchises chronicles the ongoing fight against Count Dracula by the Belmont family and their allies. To this day, Dracula continues to pose a threat to the world.
Overview
Castlevania Box Art (NES)
The early games in the Castlevania series borrowed material and influences from classic horror cinema. Later on the series has moved on to be influenced heavily by Gothic fiction and dark romanticism, and the most recent DS outing has adopted an anime inspired art direction.
The Castlevania series is one of Konami's most famous and successful franchises, and various games has been released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Saturn, PC Engine, PlayStation, Playstation 2, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, PSP, MSX2, C64, Sharp X6800, C64, and PC platforms.
Characters
The Belmont Family
The Belmont bloodline is sworn to oppose Dracula in all his various forms. In most Castlevania games, the main character is of Belmont decent; if not, the Belmonts are usually present in the form of supporting characters. The main weapon of choice for the Belmont Family is the ancestral whip, named "Vampire Killer". It has been said that only members of the Belmont family can use the whip; anyone else will eventually die after using it.
Dracula, as seen in the Castlevania series.
Dracula
Dracula has been the main antagonist throughout the Castlevania series, though the portrayal of the character has varied over time. Dracula's full name is Dracula Vlad Tempes. He was originally depicted as a standard villain, but the character became much more dramatic as more titles were released. Dracula has always played an important role in the series; his legacy stays even in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, a game in which he is not featured. In the games where Dracula is present, he often dresses the way the original Dracula was conceived: a black suit with a long cape.
Franchise History
The first outing of the Castlevania series, the original Castlevania for the NES, was a typical platform game in where the player controlled the game's protagonist Simon Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont Clan (see characters section). Simon ventures inside Castlevania, a vast demonic castle ruled by Count Dracula, where he fights supernatural beasts on his way to Dracula. He eventually makes his way through the castle interior to the top of the Castle, where the final boss fight traditionally is (most often, Dracula himself) in the Castlevania games. Belmont has to slay the evil Count Dracula using a family relic passed down generation to generation named the "Vampire Killer", which was blessed with the power to destroy vampires and other creatures of the night. Simon and the game's other heroes also possesses secondary weapons, powered by hearts, which can be found by destroying candles (and enemies in later games).
The first sequel, Castlevania II. Simon's Quest, introduced several RPG elements, such as a non-linear world the player was free to explore and revisit, the ability to purchase supplies, equipment and weapon upgrades in various small towns, and (more importantly) a leveling up system.
The third game, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, returned to the traditional style and gameplay of the original game while updating it with new features such as alternate paths with new stages and multiple playable characters. It also introduced support characters, allies to fight alongside with the Belmonts together against Dracula and his evil minions.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
The biggest turning point for the series in terms of gameplay mechanics and physics was the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
By using a wide-open world that the player was free to explore, similar to that seen previously in Super Metroid, Symphony of the Night popularized what is now commonly referred to as the "Metroidvania" style of gameplay, where the player is allowed to roam free in the game's environment but was only allowed access to a small number of areas at first. The rest of the game's areas are reached by doing certain tasks, such as completing a boss fight or finding objects and new abilities that let the player access new areas. This, combined with console RPG elements such as experience levels, hit points and magic points, usable items and the collection of new powers and abilities, weapons, armour and various items defines this style.
In addition to reinventing the technical aspects of Castlevania, Symphony of the Night adopted an entirely new art direction for the Castlevania world in which the games took place and the characters within them. With the joining of illustrator and concept artist Ayami Kojima onto the development team beginning with Symphony of the Night, the design underwent a total transformation into an elegant, beautiful appearance inspired by the European Baroque art periods (a style popular in Japan), effectively ending its previous Gothic horror theme. As such, the characters' dress and condition evolved into grand ensembles including flowing jackets and vests, and the imagery, landscape of the castle, and other game locations became lush and lavish.
The two Nintendo DS Castlevania games' art style reverted back to a more anime-inspired and simpler style similar to that of the original Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Through this, Konami hoped to broaden the player demographic by not discouraging slightly presumably younger DS gaming audience to be put off by the otherwise mature image of Kojima's art.
The first game in the series made with 3D graphics were Castlevania (64) and Castlevania : Legacy of Darkness, both on the Nintendo 64. The reception they received were mixed at best, and sales were lackluster. These games are not as highly regarded by fans and are not often recognized or referred to positively. Symphony of the Night, as well as Dawn of Sorrow & Portrait of Ruin, both on the DS, also occasionally used 3D backgrounds.
Series creator and director Koji Igarashi has stated his interest in returning to the more traditional style of the earlier games in the series.
Chronology - Castlevania Storyline
When Koji Igarashi took over as producer for the series, he revised the
timeline and removed Castlevania Legends, the Nintendo 64 game in the
series along with Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania:
Circle of Moon. (Reasons unknown). With the release of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Konami of America included a pre-order bonus "20th Anniversary" package that includes a Castlevania series timeline.
Below is the timeline provided by this bonus package.
Official Storyline
1094 - Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
1476 - Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
1479 - Castlevania: Curse of Darkness
1576 - The Castlevania Adventure
1591 - Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge
1691 - Castlevania
1698 - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
1748 - Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
1792 - Castlevania Dracula X
1797 - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
1917 - Castlevania: Bloodlines
1944 - Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
1999 - The Demon Castle Wars
2035 - Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
2036 - Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Castlevania games
Edit
| Name | Platforms | Developer | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Akumajo Dracula THE ARCADE |
X68K, ARC | |
|
|
Castlevania (working title) |
X360, PS3 | Konami Corporation |
|
|
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow |
X360, PS3 | Kojima Productions, Mercury Steam Entertainment S.L. |
|
|
Castlevania Judgment released on Nov. 18, 2008 |
WII | Konami Corporation |
|
|
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia released on Oct. 21, 2008 |
DS | Konami Corporation |
|
|
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles released on Oct. 23, 2007 |
PSP | Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo |
|
|
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin released on Dec. 5, 2006 |
DS | Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo |
|
|
Castlevania Double Pack released on Jan. 11, 2006 |
GBA | Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo |
|
|
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness released on Nov. 5, 2005 |
XBOX, PS2 | Konami Corporation |
|
|
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow released on Oct. 4, 2005 |
DS | Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo |
| Name: | Castlevania |
| Total games: | 33 games |
| First game: | Castlevania |
| Aliases: |
|
Dracula first in Ghost House |
25
|
|
Death first in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest |
13
|
|
Simon Belmont first in Castlevania |
9
|
|
Alucard first in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse |
8
|
|
The Ferryman first in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest |
7
|
|
Maria Renard first in Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo |
7
|
|
Trevor Belmont first in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse |
6
|
|
Camilla first in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest |
6
|
|
Richter Belmont first in Akumajo Dracula X: Chi no Rondo |
6
|
|
Legion first in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night |
6
|
| See all » |
