Overview:
That old rascal Dracula is at it again. He’s causing havoc and only one man can stop him: Nathan! This is in the new style of Castlevania with you leveling up, collecting items, and exploring. New in this iteration is the card system with different combinations giving you buffs to help you on your mission. Along the way you’ll battle all sorts of enemies and bosses while trying not to get lost. Eventually you’ll stumble upon upgrades to help you traverse the world. It’s a pretty beefy game for the Game Boy Advance but that is what the system really was known for!
Visuals:
I’m kind of torn with the way it looks. The images are super crisp and the world looks amazing. The sprites are little, for the most part, but that’s to help make the environment huge. The thing that irks me the most is the animation. Nathan moves so stiffly and with like three frames of animation. The enemies are nicely varied and different with each one of them being annoying and unique in their own rights. It’s a solid visual experience and fits in the new style of Castlevania.
Audio:
I love the way everything sounds. The music and sounds throughout the game is just an experience for your earholes. It does get a little repetitive with the way enemies die but that’s only because you’re killing them over and over again. But the music sets the bar super high and it’s nothing short of a masterpiece.
Completion:
I’m working on it! I’ve been playing it for about an hour every night and I’m working my way through the castle. Nathan has been upgraded quite a bit and I’m able to move around much faster. I’m also stronger so enemies really don’t hold a candle to me. I’m not a fan of traversing the castle because I’m having to go from one opposite end to the other while battling weak enemies who do nothing but impede my speed. I’m loving the vibe though and I can’t wait to see where it takes me!
Update: 04/10/2026
I FINISHED THIS GAME! It was a pretty good Castlevania game but the combat was fucking horrible. It’s been a while since I played one of these so I wasn’t used to having to be more deliberate with your attacks. Nathan attacks SO SLOW so every time I was trying to get my final hit in, I’d get knocked back and fall off a platform. It was quite annoying. Regardless, it was a hell of a game!
