The saga of Castlevania is so important in the gaming scene that it has given, together with the saga of Metroid, the name of an entire genre of games, namely i metroidvania. And retrieving some of the first, crucial chapters just got hugely easier, thanks to the all-platform release of one collection unique, faithful but also equipped with modern tools that facilitate its use. After trying it, here is our review of Castlevania Advance Collection.
Our Castlevania Advance Collection review
The collection includes all three games released in the early 2000s for Game Boy Advance, that is to say Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castelvania: Harmony of Dissonance e Castelvania: Aria of Sorrow. It also includes Castelvania: Dracula X, title released in 1995 per SNES.
For virtually all of the games, the story focuses on the intergenerational confrontation between the family Belmonts, endowed with magical powers, e Dracula. All the games take place in the vampire’s castle, or at least in Transylvania. In addition to Dracula, the protagonists of the various games must face a whole variety of monstrosities, such as mummies, demons e zombie. A main feature, common then to the subsequent games of the metroidvania vein, is theprogressive acquisition of new powers and abilities that allow you to reach areas that may have already been crossed but previously inaccessible.
For all four games, historical contextualization and fidelity come first. For example, you can choose between the version American, European O Japanese of the game, so you can enjoy the subtle differences. Of each title are then available historical information, music e images of original sketches and concepts. Within the game it is then possible to choose the settings for example it screen (deciding whether to keep the original ratio or if you want to use the whole screen instead) or audio (with the ability to choose between high quality audio and audio faithful to that produced by the original hardware).
The original gameplay, but more accessible
Diving into the various titles, what we find is the original game experience, for better or for worse. On the one hand, in fact, there is a reason if we are talking about classic videogames: the pixelart it is retro but absolutely not aged, the atmosphere and enemies are compelling, the commands are simple and easily approcciabili, the action is engaging.
On the other hand, however, the difficulty and some choices regarding the bailouts (possible in the game only at designated points) and the vita (a single bar) are children of the era in which these games were conceived, and could be perceived as antiquate e punitive, especially for a younger audience approaching the series for the first time.
The time rewind interface
The game compensates in this respect by including many tools that make life easier for players, such as the ability to to save e load at any time with an external interface to the game, or the possibility, at any time, to rewind the time by several seconds, so that you are not condemned to start over due to a simple mistake. These tools are however totally optional, and those who want to enjoy a truly authentic experience can simply not use them.
In terms of controls, the best gaming experience is certainly achieved with a controller equipped with D-Pad, therefore capable of emulating the gaming experience of the original consoles. You can also use the keyboard if you want, but the controls, especially as regards the emulation interface in game, they are less intuitive and optimized.
Castlevania Advance Collection review: our conclusions
For the reasonable price 19.99€, the Castlevania Advance Collection is one of the best ways to recover these great classics at the moment. The availability for the major platforms, that is PC, Xbox (is One that Series S/X), PlayStation (is 4 that 5) e Nintendo Switch, also make it easily available for the vast majority of gamers. So if you were waiting for a way to get closer to the Castlevania saga, this collection could be for you.
PRO
- True to the original titles
- Complete with context and historical information
- Tools that make life easier for players
AGAINST
- Little optimized for the keyboard
- Few explanations on the controls and game features
More information available on Konami’s official website.
Developer:
Konami Digital Entertainment
Price:
19,99 €
Developer:
Konami Digital Entertainment
Price:
19,99 €