Group Description
Castlevania, or
Akumajō Dracula (Japanese: 悪魔城ドラキュラ, "Devil Castle Dracula"), is a series of action games by
Konami. The series' setting and plot elements are loosely based on Bram Stoker's novel
Dracula, focusing on the titular
fictional character. Most of the protagonists in the series (with a few notable exceptions) belong to the Belmont family and are vampire hunters who venture into Dracula's castle with the goal of defeating the powerful vampire following one of his resurrections. The games usually take place in a dark castle and its surroundings, which are populated by horror-themed enemies.
Classic
Castlevania games are 2D platformers in which the protagonist advances through linear stages, defeating regular enemies and bosses. Members of the Belmont family are armed with a whip, which they can also use to destroy parts of the scenery (candle, walls, etc.) to obtain hearts, food and items. Health can be replenished by eating; hearts are used to execute special attacks with equipped items, e.g. throwing axes, daggers, holy crosses, etc.
The first game in the series came in two variants, one of which,
Vampire Killer (1986), introduced non-linear exploration elements to the standard action platforming formula.
Simon's Quest (1987) expanded upon that idea and added light role-playing elements such as a world map, monetary system, and a day-and-night cycle.
Of the subsequent installments,
Symphony of the Night (1997) took the farthest step on the RPG road, adding experience points and leveling-up to the core gameplay. It also greatly expanded the playing environment, introducing large interconnected stages, some of which could be explored in a non-linear fashion. Some of the series' further incarnations emulated this gameplay concept.
Together with
Metroid, later
Castlevania installments lead to the concept of a sub-genre dubbed
Metroidvania, in which traditional platform elements are combined with heavier character customization and a large game world that the player can explore in a non-linear fashion.
Related Site(s)
The Castlevania Dungeon - A fansite devoted to the games of the
Castlevania series. Content includes game info/descriptions, plot summaries, various kinds of media (images, MP3s, etc.) and links to other Castlevania-related sites.
Trivia
Simon Belmont, the protagonist from the first installments of the series, appeared as regular character in the Saturday morning TV cartoon
Captain N: The Game Master.
Information also contributed by
Guy Chapman
Game Title | Year | Platform | Publisher | User Score |
Castlevania: Advance Collection | 2021 | Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series | Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. | ... |
Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls | 2019 | Android, iPad, iPhone, Macintosh, tvOS | Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. | ... |
Castlevania: Anniversary Collection | 2019 | Luna, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One | Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. | ... |
Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood | 2018 | PlayStation 4 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - Relic Rune Pack | 2014 | PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - Digital Bundle | 2014 | PlayStation 3 | Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - Revelations | 2014 | PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd. | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 | 2014 | PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | 4.19 |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - Armored Dracula Costume | 2014 | PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 - Dark Dracula Costume | 2014 | PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate | 2013 | Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | 4.01 |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Ultimate Edition | 2013 | Windows | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | 4.03 |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Collection | 2013 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. | ... |
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Extra Stage: Origins | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. | ... |
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Extra Stage: The One Who Is Many | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. | ... |
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Extra Stage: Lord of Flies | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. | ... |
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Getsu Fuma Character Pack | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH | ... |
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Simon Belmont Character Pack | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Resurrection | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Reverie | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | ... |
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Extra Stage: The Legend of Fuma | 2011 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. | ... |
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Music Pack 1 | 2010 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. | ... |
Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night | 2010 | iPhone, Windows Phone | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | ... |
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair - Richter Belmont Character Pack | 2010 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH | ... |
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow | 2010 | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 | Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. | 4.26 |
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Selected Screenshots
Game group created by Anonymous User, additional games added to group by
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