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Welcome to Nerd Bacon’s Castlevania Portal!

Here’s everything The Bacon could dig up on the Castlevania series: codes, secrets, images, and more!

Games

• Main Console Releases (US)

  • Castlevania
  • Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
  • Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse
  • Super Castlevania IV
  • Castlevania: Bloodlines
  • Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
  • Castlevania (Castlevania 64)
  • Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness
  • Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
  • Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

• Lords of Shadow Series

  • Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
  • Castlevania: Mirror of Fate
  • Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

• Handheld Games (US)

  • Castlevania: The Adventure
  • Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge
  • Castlevania Legends
  • Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
  • Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance
  • Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
  • Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
  • Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin
  • Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

• Main Console Releases (Japan only)

  • Vampire Killer
  • Castlevania Chronicles (original version for Sharp X68000)
  • Rondo of Blood
  • Castlevania: Nocturne in the Moonlight (Saturn version of Symphony of the Night)

• Remakes and Re-releases (US)

  • Castlevania: Dracula X (US version of Rondo of Blood)
  • Castlevania Chronicles (updated re-release of Japanese original)
  • Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP release with Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night)
  • Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (colorized re-release of The Adventure for Wii Virtual Console)

• Miscellaneous Releases (US)

  • Haunted Castle (arcade only)
  • Castlevania: Order of Shadows (mobile exclusive)
  • Castlevania: Judgment (fighting game)
  • Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night
  • Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (XBL and PSN exclusive)

• Miscellaneous Releases (Japan only)

  • Haunted Castle (PS2 port of original arcade game)
  • Castlevania: The Arcade
  • Castlevania: The Medal
  • Castlevania: Pachislot
  • Castlevania: Pachislot II
  • Castlevania: Pachislot III

• Unreleased Games

  • Untitled 32X Game (dubbed “Castlevania: Bloodletting”)
  • Castlevania: Resurrection

History and Legacy

The series traces its roots back to September 26th, 1986, when the very first game was released for the Famicon in Japan.  The “Castlevania” title is rarely used in its country of origin where most games employ the “Akumajō Dracula” title to distinguish themselves as part of the franchise, often resulting in the literal translation “Devil’s Castle Dracula.”  The word “Castlevania” was meant to refer to Dracula’s castle itself should the game designers wish to focus on aspects peripheral to the dark lord.

Many titles remain available only in Japan, and many others experienced early censorship when first making their way overseas.  Gore, nudity, and religious imagery have all been toned down for Western audiences in early releases, though over the years the industry has become more relaxed about what is and isn’t permissible in video games.  Castlevania has undergone many stylistic and gameplay changes, dabbling in several major genres and experimenting with wildly different visual styles.

Castlevania has spawned dozens of releases and has remained one of Konami’s most profitable properties since its inception and is often ranked among the best and most long-lasting franchises in the industry along with Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy.  Having never been exclusive to a company like Sonic or Mario, Castlevania games have made their way to numerous systems across the years, spanning nearly every mainstream system and several lesser-known systems.  The series has had its ups and downs but as a whole remains a critically acclaimed body of work.

Castlevania’s peak of popularity came with the 1997 release of Symphony of the Night, a model that Konami would adopt on and off again throughout subsequent games.  Symphony of the Night was the unspoken champion of 2D side scrollers in an era when the industry was moving towards 3D and still tops most “best of Castlevania” lists.  The series would then see 2 poorly received attempts at 3D on the N64, followed by a return to Symphony of the Night-style gameplay for the GBA.  Castlevania then underwent a transition to anime artwork in order to appear more “friendly” to audiences using the DS.  Most recently, Konami has expended their effort on the Lords of Shadow trilogy, a sort of reboot to Castlevania’s sprawling and fractured continuity.

Story

Castlevania has a long and convoluted storyline, taking place over the course of roughly 1,000 years.  The games are constantly jumping around different generations and very few storylines from game to game are linear.  Konami has further complicated the issue by removing and then re-adding certain games to the Castlevnia canon, and the Lords of Shadow trilogy disregards much establish continuity.  Essentially, the series revolves around the resurrection and/or ascension of Dracula, at first taking place every 100 years.  The Belmont family possesses a whip known as the Vampire Killer with which to dispatch Dracula and his minions with, passing it down through future generations.  Descendants, offshoots, and acquaintances of the Belmonts have also joined the fray from time to time, generally emerging victorious.