Reviewed by CL on 8/15/2004
This is one of the only GBA games that I've ever bought used. Usually, I only buy new games since I actually collect games in addition to playing them and having the box and instruction booklet is pretty important to me. However, I broke down this time and bought a used copy of this game because I already had Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance and I though that I would just play this one for fun since Harmony of Dissonance was probably much better. Boy was I wrong, this is probably the best Castlevania game that I've ever played (including Symphony of the Night) and now I'm kicking myself for not having the box (if you have the box and want to sell it, please contact me and let me know how much you want for it, I already of the instruction booklet).
This game is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences you'll ever have (portable or not). The castle that you explore is very large and it follows the Super Metroid style of play where you need certain items/power-ups to access different parts of the castle. Once you do start getting all the fun items and power-ups, you start gaining cool abilities like double-jump, dash, and turning your whip into a flaming sword. You can power-up your character by simply gaining levels, equipping some of the many items to be found, or by finding special cards called DSS cards. There are 20 different cards that can be combined for 100 different types of power-ups. Now don't let all this power go to your head, as you'll need all the help you can get with some of the bosses. In short, this game is Hard (notice the capital H). On one of the bosses, I must have died at least 15 times before successfully beating him. This is a great throwback to the old school Castlevania games where you would have to die several times before you learned the pattern to defeat the boss. In the day and age where most of the games are a complete breeze, its good to know that not everybody has decided to go easy on us.
The graphics of this game are very good for a GBA title. The only foreseeable problem with the graphics is that they are all so dark. This is probably used to create a gothic atmosphere, but if you don't have an SP with backlit screen, I bet it's next to impossible to play this game unless you're in direct sunlight. All of the enemies have some decent animations and detail. The main character is also amazingly nimble, which isn't characteristic of a Castlevania game (he can even change direction mid-jump). The controls are tight and you can really maneuver when you need to.
The game has decent replay value since it adds a little bit of the RPG aspect to it with the card collection idea. You can also play through it a second, third, or even fourth time, all with different attributes that are unlocked each time you beat the game. Also, there are tons of different items to collect throughout the game that also helps the replay value.
In conclusion, this is one of the best GBA games and probably the best Castlevania game that I have ever played. If you are lucky enough to find a copy of this floating around, be sure to pick it up, you'll have a blast.
