08 Castlevania (NES) - obviously an awesome game but realistically Ninja Gaiden levels of impossible to finish unless you savescum so unsure
?? Vampire Killer (MSX2)
06 Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES) - I believe there's a patched ROM that makes this a bit more fun to play...
03 Haunted Castle (Arcade) - Utterly unplayable
06 Castlevania: The Adventure (GB) - Fun, but disposable
10 Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES) - they really did nail it with this one. Everything about it is AWESOME. The music, the stages, the scope of the game. It's actually quite incredible that this is a NES game. TOP 3 CASTLEVANIA!
07 Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (GB)
08 Super Castlevania IV (SNES) - a tiny bit OVERRATED (but the music is out of this world)
08 Castlevania Chronicles (Sharp X / PSX)
11 Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PCE CD) - I don't say it lightly but one of the BEST GAMES OF ALL TIME for me. I first played it on a shitty emulator in the 90s that would grind my computer to a halt whenever two enemies appeared onscreen and even then I could tell it was fucking awesome
The only bad thing about this game is that it is stuck in the most obscure of consoles, although the re-release on PS4 should have given it a new appreciation
09 Castlevania: Bloodlines (MD) - sometimes I think this is UP THERE with Dracula's Curse but I have to dock one point because of the themed stages. We don't want to go to a SUNKEN CITY, we want to trawl DRACULA'S CASTLE
07 Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES) - it's A BIT OF A MESS as it's some sort of WEIRD RONDO ABORTION but at least it's A LOT MORE DIFFICULT than Rondo, which admittedly is one of the only criticisms you can level at it
10 Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PSX) - one of the most brilliant SEGUES in videogame history. Nobody expected THIS when it came out! In terms of PRESENTATION, this is probably the PINNACLE for me, even if the actual Metroidzation of the series kinda BREAKS the difficulty. But no other Dracula's castle has felt so REAL before or after.
?? Castlevania Legends (GB) - SORRY SONIA!
08 Castlevania (N64) - this got slated when it came out but I'm hoping for a REAPPRAISAL as it's quite underrated. Obviously a bit rough round the edges because the N64 can't quite cope but full of atmosphere and great ideas even if marred by the execution
?? Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (N64)
06 Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA) - this is FUN and obviously in 2001 it was INCREDIBLE to play a Castlevania on the go with these graphics and this ambition, considering the previous portable efforts had been monochrome 5-stage Game Boy cartridges, but in the context of what came afterwards, it is a bit SIMPLES
07 Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (GBA)
09 Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA) - I like it but I personally prefer my Castlevania set in the PAST, not in the FUTURE so I'm not a STAN
06 Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2) - fine, but FAR from what could have been after Castlevania 64. Disappointing to see Iga schew all the good stuff from C64 and just give us CORRIDORS instead.
08 Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS) - as good as Aria, personally, if not better in certain aspects but I have to dock a point for the TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE ARTWORK (of the same characters another artist had previously drawn BEAUTIFULLY. What were they thinking??!)
?? Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PS2)
07 Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS) - NO THEMED STAGES
09 Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP) - I mean, it's a remake of one of the GOATs and miraculously they didn't fuck it up. I much prefer the 2D style though
09 Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS) - I really love this, I think it's the best of the DS lot. Also COOL HEROINE and nice THROWBACK to Simon's Quest. The fact that Iga decided to RIP IT OFF for his definitely-not-Castlevania project Bloodstained says it all
08 Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare) - I only played this a couple of years ago
(after I pirated my Wii as I don't like paying for digital games) but it's actually deceivingly good! Not sure why it's billed as a remake of the first GB game because it's HARDLY ANYTHING LIKE IT...
07 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (PS3) - I actually like quite a few things about this game, the artwork is spectacular and I appreciate them wanting to GoW-ify the series, but SORRY MERCURYSTEAM THIS IS NOT A CASTLEVANIA. It's more WILLOW than VANIA. Also, CRINGETASTIC STORY (how can you fuck up DRACULA FFS?!) and Patrick Stewart has never sounded more EMBARRASSED to be on ANYTHING and this is a man who's been to gazillions of STAR TREK CONVENTIONS
07 Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (DS) - again, I appreciate them not just doing ANOTHER METROIDVANIA but it doesn't quite work. I do have to give them one extra point for the SHEER CHUTZPAH of wanting to turn the series into some sort of SCOTTISH CLAN SAGA
?? Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (PS3)
