9.  The Dracula X Chronicles – PSP

Click here to read my review of The Dracula X Chronicles!

Released in 2007 to appease fans of a later entry on this list, The Dracula X Chronicles tends to slip under the radar more often than not.  Konami’s decision to develop the remake for the marginally unpopular PlayStation Portable (which seems to have become a hacker’s toy more than anything) probably wasn’t the optimal strategy for reaching the kind of long-time fans that the title was aimed at.  Widely praised for its faithful renditions of Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night, the game remains criminally absent from most Castlevania discussions despite its status as one of the best selling titles in the PSP’s library.

Depending on your level of fandom, buying a PSP just for The Dracula X Chronicles may be a worthwhile purchase.  You won’t find it elsewhere, and it’s probably anyone’s best chance at experiencing Rondo of Blood for themselves.

How can you play it today?

This is one of the easiest to find since PSP games have entered a sort of worthless limbo.  All systems are fated to endure such before first eliciting nostalgia and then becoming full-blown antiques after time has culled the world of most associated equipment.  Many GameStops and other used gaming outlets are working hard to offload their PSP inventory.  Not surprisingly, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is one of the more sought-after of the bunch.  Though typically priced around $15 (maybe less if it’s caseless), there may not be 6 or 8 copies lying around at every store.  With a little luck, it shouldn’t be too hard to find, but you may have to check in at your local aftermarket retailer a couple of times a week or spend an afternoon covering all such locations in your area.  Used Castlevania games get snatched up quickly and aren’t nearly as ubiquitous as other long-standing franchises such as Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, and the like.  Good news is that you can buy a caseless copy without too much fear of damage as the design of UMDs offers a fair bit of protection from even the most careless of handlers and previous owners.

Don’t have a PSP?  They’re pretty cheap these days too.  I can’t say I’ve got 15 reasons why you should have Sony’s first handheld to rail off, but hell, why not?

Cube’s Recommendation:  BUY IT.

Written by The Cubist

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