×
Back left
Back right

Castlevania Returns Just in Time for Halloween

Oct 26, 2018

By: Max Cannon

Classic Castlevania games are coming to current generation consoles and returning players to the world of vampire hunting, also just in time to generate hype for some of those classic Castlevania characters making their way into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Reliving the Classics

It's unlikely that you were playing either Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or Castlevania: Rondo of Blood back when they released on the original PlayStation or the TurboGrafx-16 so this is an incredibly welcomed re-release even though it's reported to be a little light on new features. The biggest draw here is undoubtedly Symphony of the Night which first launched on the PlayStation back in 1997 and over time grew to be one of the most beloved games of both the Castlevania series and the entire gaming medium. This version, however, is based on the PSP remake which features new voice acting which has disappointed some fans of the original performances.

Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood | Announcement Trailer

On top of that, Rondo of Blood was only originally available on consoles that are a little more on the obscure side by today's standards, the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 were the only systems available at first, aside from getting ported alongside Symphony to the PSP. On top of being a prequel to Symphony, this game is also notable for starring Richter Belmont who is going to be an echo fighter in the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. At the moment, these don't seem to be much more than better-looking ports of the PSP game, but any excuse to replay these classics is more than welcome.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will include characters and stages from Castlevania.Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will include characters and stages from Castlevania.Courtesy of Nintendo

Castlevania's Return

Castlevania is an older series that kicked off in the NES era through the teams over at Konami and though there we were getting tons of Castlevania games for many years, the series has taken a long time away. The recent return of Castlevania could be a signal that we'll be getting more games from that series in the coming years. As mentioned earlier,  Simon and Richter Belmont's inclusion into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has really brought the series back into cultural relevance alongside the recently released Castlevania series on Netflix. While Konami has slowed down the development of their games, this re-release could be used to gauge interest and possibly bring the series back in a bigger way.

Castlevania is still in the 4:3 era due to how the game is designed.Castlevania is still in the 4:3 era due to how the game is designed.Courtesy of PlayStation

If you're looking forward to picking this game up, especially if you're in the Halloween spirit, Castlevania Requiem currently available now for $19.99 on the PlayStation Store and is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Share Your Thoughts!

Are you going to pick up these classic games? What are your favorite games to play during Halloween! Leave a comment with your thoughts below!