Castlevania Chronicles

Cinescape (B+)

In the end, this is still a Nintendo game on your Playstation. But it's one of the best darn Nintendo games ever. If you haven't picked this one up before, do yourself a favor and do it now.

Original Gamer (8.2 out of 10)

In summation, Castlevania Chronicles' arrange mode is all about the little changes that may not be initially apparent. It really feels like it was made for the fans, as these are the group likely to enjoy the changes the most. These are both obvious as with the complete musical overhaul and subtle with the slight graphical changes. I think the best way to express my approval is to say that the Arrange Mode not only makes the Sharp version better, it makes it more acceptable as part of the Castlevania series.

GamePro (US) (4 out of 5)

Castlevania is quintessential 2D side-scrolling platform action. As famed vampire-killer Simon Belmont, you’ll venture through 24 stages of monsters, which range from skeletons to werewolves. The play mechanics are strictly old-school as you have four moves at your command: whip, jump, crouch, and special weapon. Although the play scheme is reminiscent of Symphony of the Night, it’s much more limiting because you can’t upgrade your weapons or use spells, shields, or other items.

PSX Nation (80 out of 100)

It's definitely a good time to be a "Castlevania" fan. If you're a fan of old-school 2D side-scrolling adventures (not necessarily titles in this series) then don't wait to read about it with envy while browsing through Ebay several years from now. "Castlevania Chronicles" is as addictive, challenging and enjoyable today as it was back in '93. It might not be as good or deep as the GameBoy Advance "Catlevania" title out now, but it's a fine complement to the beloved (and hard-to-find) "Symphony of the Night".

Hot Games (4 out of 5)

It may just be an attempt to cash in on nostalgia, but it's a good attempt. CC is definitely for Castlevania fans, and a loving tribute to what games used to be about.

IGN (7.8 out of 10)

As such, fans of the series have probably long since bought this and played it to death, so I would like to speak here to those of you who know not of the Castlevanias of old. If you can't be bothered to do the truly right thing, purchase a stack of orphaned systems and play the four or five Castlevanias every self-respecting gamer ought to have enjoyed, grab Chronicles at its bargain price and find out what you were missing while you were still belting your kindergarten classmates upside the head. Hopefully my optimism holds true, and a good game is indeed eternal.

Gamezone (Germany) (7.8 out of 10)

Was die Grafik versäumt, macht der Sound wieder gut: Hier werden Fans der alten NES und SNES Versionen feuchte Augen bekommen, denn zwei komplett neu remixte Soundtracks machen das Spiel zu einem echten Erlebnis. Da geht wirklich die Post ab! Wer hier ein neues Symphony of the Night erwartet liegt falsch - Fans der alten Teile können allerdings bedenkenlos zugreifen, gerade bei einem so attraktiven Preis!

Gaming Target (7.5 out of 10)

And finally, in another nice touch, Castlevania Chronicles is a limited edition. Konami has promised that only 30,000 copies will be produced, making Castlevania Chronicles a very hard game to find by the end of the year. However, there is still very little replay value in Castlevania Chronicles and in true nitpicking fashion there's even some slowdown as the game loads up new sections of the levels. My NES game didn't have that!

Digital Press - Classic Video Games (7.5 out of 10)

Fans of the series will undoubtedly be happy that their getting a game they would most likely never play. The bargain price of $20 makes this one a steal and because of this, most can look over the lack of extras. While it will never compete with the other entry of this series on this system (Symphony of the Night), it's still a great game. It may seem too familiar for fans of the first game on the NES, but the slight differences and DVD-like extras make this one worth the price of admission.

VicioJuegos.com / uVeJuegos.com (75 out of 100)

Castlevania Chronicles es un juego clásico destinado especialmente a todos los fans de la saga que no pudieron hacerse con él en su momento (prácticamente toda América y Europa). Para el resto de jugadores, puede ser una buena manera de conocer los principios de esta saga e incluso de convertirse en uno de sus juegos favoritos. Los gráficos no lo son todo, y este juego es un buen ejemplo de ello. Estando en PSOne el Castlevania Symphony of the Night, el juego pierde bastante, pero es otra historia. Chronicles es un Castlevania puro y duro a la antigua usanza, un reto serio para cualquier jugador que guste de los buenos juegos de plataformas y aventura.

Super Play (Sweden) (7 out of 10)

Att Castlevania Chronicles är en välgjord samling går inte att förneka. Till skillnad från många andra liknande återutgivningar har Konami ansträngt sig för att göra någonting fansen faktiskt kan tänkas uppskatta. Jag kan bara inte släppa tanken på att de ödslat väldigt mycket tid och konverteringsarbete på helt fel spel.

PSM (7 out of 10)

This one is strictly for fans of the old-school, but if that's your thing, it's well worth the bargain price. Some levels will frustrate you, but you'll keep coming back for another go.

GameZone (7 out of 10)

With a value price and sentimental value for long-time Castlevania fans, Castlevania Chronicles is a must have to the collection for fans of the series. However, outsiders to the following may not be very impressed by the older-looking graphics and gameplay – even with the minimal upgrades of "arranged" mode.

Classic-games.net (7 out of 10)

Castlevania Chronicles is still a solid title. As one last take on the classic formula it is a nice throwback but ranks low in the series. Its light on extras (a small art gallery and developer interview) but you essentially have two games here so it evens out. Go into it expecting a retro vibe and you will find it rewarding.

Game Critics (7 out of 10)

In the end, Castlevania Chronicles is a solid game. While younger gamers whove only experienced the more recent incarnations of the series (Symphony Of The Night and Circle Of The Moon) might find the game too plain looking and the gameplay mechanics too limiting, those whove been around since the series started will no doubt find Chronicles to be something of worth. The enhancements offered in the arrange mode keep the game from looking too dated, and the adjustable difficulty setting alleviates some of the problem with the games challenge level. If nothing else, Castlevania Chronicles demonstrates that while rich, 3-D polygon worlds may be nice, theres still something to be said for great gameplay and 2-D sprites. Castlevania Chronicles is a satisfying trip down memory lane.

Game Shark (7 out of 10)

This could have been something truly cool, like say all three NES games, the arcade version, and maybe a few surprises tossed in, but instead it's just a quick reminder that killer game play can still live on after all these years.

Quebec Gamers (6.9 out of 10)

Que dire de plus, Castlevania Chronicles est un jeu très court et sans grande valeur de rejouabilité. Les fans de Castlevania de la vieille époque vont adorer ce jeu car il est très bon et il respect bien l'ambiance et le sentiment général de ces jeux! Ne vous attendez juste pas à un long jeu! Dommage d'ailleurs que le jeu soit si court car il est très bon! Pour les autres qui s'attendaient à un titre comme Symphony Of The Night, vous pouvez passez votre tour! Court mais bon!

Game Informer Magazine (6.75 out of 10)

Some minor changes (such as a dramatically redesigned character model) are included in the Arranged mode that adds on to a faithful version of the original, but it's debatable whether the remade version is truly better than the game it is emulating. You're definitely wielding a whip and a cross, but there are any number of other, better Castlevania releases in which you can take down Dracula.

Defunct Games (B-)

Castlevania Chronicles looks and sounds like a good 16-bit game. The visuals are clean and vibrant. The scaling and rotation effects are used sparingly; don't expect to see whole stages rotate like in Super Castlevania 4. However, backgrounds are impressively busy, especially the Clock Tower area. The soundtrack largely consists of remixes of tunes from the first three games which sound great as long as the orchestrations in Symphony of the Night didn't spoil you.

CoreMagazine.com (B-)

Castlevania newbies might be better served with the first PlayStation outing, Symphony of the Night, which features much better graphics and a longer quest that's not nearly as linear. But Castlevania Chronicles offers an enjoyable peek at the roots of this perennial favorite, and at a respectable price to boot. Gameplay is pretty shallow stuff, but it's also somehow more intense, and much more challenging, than recent games in the series. A rental will satisfy most gamers, but serious collectors will definitely want to add this to their libraries.

Gaming Age (B-)

If you’re a Castlevania fan, then don’t hesitate to pick up this little collector’s item. Everyone else would be well advised to rent before making a purchasing decision. The game does look and feel a little dated, but the gameplay is timeless. My only gripe with Chronicles is the weak save system – you have to lose all your lives before you’re given the option to save. In the grand scheme of things though, this is a small black mark on an otherwise solid disc. For $30 and a piece of Castlevania history, the enthusiast can’t go wrong. Check it out and pick up a copy of Symphony of the Night while you’re at it. (I really can’t plug that game enough)

GameSpot (6.1 out of 10)

Hard-core Castlevania fans will definitely appreciate the return to the classic gameplay style, but if your first encounter with Castlevania was Symphony of the Night or even some of the Super Nintendo games, you'll be disappointed by the dated graphics, static gameplay, and lack of replay value. However, its low price tag might offer enough justification for you to pick it up.

Game Informer Magazine (6 out of 10)

This re-release from a defunct computer bears too much resemblance to the NES original to even qualify as flashback fun. I'd rather play Symphony of the Night for the eighth time.

Games Domain ( )

But is it worth your $20? If the thought of classic Castlevania on PlayStation makes your eyes light up, then yes. If those words don't evoke any emotional reaction from you, then ignore it. If you're somewhere between these extremes, try Circle of the Moon on GBA or look into the emulation options for other Castlevania games before you spend.

The Video Game Critic (C+)

The graphics however are remarkably good, with high-resolution monsters and interesting background animations. The control is a little stiff, and there are a few annoyances including "instant death" falls and irritating bats. Even so, Castlevania fans will relish this long-lost gem. An interview with the game's producer is also included.

Gamezilla (58 out of 100)

The bottom line here is this is an old game. Eight years ago this may have been a great game and probably should have been released then, but to Konami’s credit they obviously realized this, as the price was set to only twenty dollars. Castlevania Chronicles will probably only appeal to fans of the series who can’t ever get enough. To those of you who fit that criteria I’d recommend this game, but to anyone else, save your money and rent it.

Jeuxvideo.com (10 out of 20)

Un titre tout particulièrement réservé aux collectionneurs puisqu'il consiste en un simple remake de l'un des ancêtres de la série. Les bonus sont un peu légers et les fans qui attendaient une suite de Symphony of the Night resteront sur leur faim.

Game Revolution (C)

Castlevania Chronicles is more of a footnote than a chapter in the history books. This game will really only make Castlevania devotees truly happy. If the original came out today, it would be quickly persecuted for how dated it looks and plays. Chronicles is best enjoyed with a backpedaled frame of reference. If the Arranged mode offered a little more quality 're-arrangment,' I'd see some more of that value IGA talked about, despite the fact that CC is only $20.

Consoles Plus (50 out of 100)

Graphismes ternes, pixélisés à outrance, animation ridicule, mauvaise maniabilité. Même l'intro est nulle... C'est bien dommage, car on arrive un peu à la fin de la PS, et il aurait été judicieux de terminer l'aventure sur cette console par une bonne expérience. Ne vous faites pas avoir !