Castlevania

This Review was done as part of our review of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.

The first Castlevania game stood tall with the giants of the era, being included with Mega Man and Mario on many lists of greats. Its offering was substantially different than its contemporaries though. Simon Belmont’s movements were slower, his whip attacks had startup lag, so gameplay had to be more deliberate overall. It created a more cerebral experience than the relatively frenetic platformer competitors of the time.

For the most part the gameplay that made it famous stands up to the test of time. Newer players might be frustrated by the committed jump arcs or locked movement on staircases – things that changed even in future Classic-vania entries. But if you take the time to get used to it there’s a good chance you’ll find the fulfilling experience that solidified this as a classic.

The first Castlevania is short and simple. It’d be understandable if someone prefers one of the later entries – particularly Castlevania III which is basically the same thing but with more content – but that kind of comparing really only matters when you can only choose one. Having it with the Castlevania Anniversary Collection let’s you enjoy it for what it is, or at least get a history lesson on the origins of the series.

4 out of 5