Konami is a legendary game studio that may not be held in the highest regard at the moment, but it has a collection of classic series throughout its 50 years. In celebration of its recent anniversary, the company is releasing collections of fan-favorites, including Castlevania Anniversary Collection. This week, the studio shared which titles are coming to the collection and we highlight the definitive entries that serve as the foundation for Castlevania’s success.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection was already known to feature Castlevania, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge, and Super Castlevania IV. The last four titles revealed for the collection are Castlevania: Bloodlines, Kid Dracula, Castlevania: The Adventure, and Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. Castlevania: The Adventure and Kid Dracula are games that collectors will cherish as part of their collections, but Castlevania II and Bloodlines are pivotal experiences that hardcore fans or those remotely interested in the series can’t afford to miss. Fans of Netflix’s hit Castlevania series can try out of the games responsible for bringing that story to life.
Castlevania: Bloodlines
This particular game is one of those gaming treasures that required a good chunk of change if you wanted it in your collection, until now. Castlevania: Bloodlines released on the Sega Genesis in 1994 and was the only entry in the franchise to release on that console. It’s a highly cherished story in the Castlevania world, being a rare occurrence where a Castlevania game cast players as someone outside of the Belmont family.
You play as John Morris and Eric Lecarde as they attempt to thwart the revival of Dracula. To give you an idea of the game’s rarity, there is a new copy of the game selling for $270 on eBay and the lowest price on Amazon is $72 for a used copy. Those sellers will have to wait a bit longer for hardcore collectors now that Castlevania: Bloodlines is available to the masses as part of Castlevania Anniversary Collection.
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
The first Castlevania is undoubtedly a classic that birthed a long-running franchise but the experimenting that the developers did with the sequel were also important for the growth of the series. Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest released in 1987 for the NES and is less straightforward than the first game, putting additional focus on players exploring and figuring out the game themselves and it is supported by an iconic soundtrack.
Castlevania
Of course, the game where it all started is a definitive entry in the franchise. Turn on the 1986 classic Castlevania and step into the action-adventure that kicked off the story of the Belmont clan.
Super Castlevania IV
For all the historic relevance of the other games found in Castlevania Anniversary Collection, Super Castlevania IV is the absolute best of the bunch from top to bottom. Some of the best visuals and music lay the foundation for some of the best gameplay in the Castlevania series and round out a solid collection of games.
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