Castlevania is a video game series created and developed by Konami. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. This is a list of Video game franchises organised alphabetically by name () is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys Trading cards, Anime, Tokusatsu, Slot machines The series debuted in Japan on September 26, 1986 with the release of Akumajō Dracula (悪魔城ドラキュラ, Akumajō Dorakyura^?, lit. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar dedicates a Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) "Demon Castle Dracula") for the Famicom Disk System (FDS), followed by an alternate version for the MSX 2 platform on October 30. The was released on February 21, 1986 by Nintendo as a peripheral for the Family Computer ("Famicom" console in Japan. MSX was the name of a standardized Home computer architecture in the 1980s Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Although the MSX 2 port (localized in Europe and Brazil as Vampire Killer) was released first outside of Japan, the series did not receive wide attention outside of Japan until the FDS version was ported to cartridge format for the Nintendo Entertainment System and localized for North American and European releases of Castlevania in 1987. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Vampire Killer ( 1986) is a game for the MSX 2 home computer produced by Konami and released in Japan, Europe See also Software portability In Computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created In various types of electronic equipment a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by In Computing, Internationalization and localization (also spelled internationalisation and localisation, see spelling differences) are means of adapting The series soon became a recognized landmark in the design of action platforming games. It soon became known for its elaborate design aesthetic and theatrical soundtracks. Aesthetics or esthetics ( also spelled æsthetics) is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values sometimes called Video game music is any of the musical pieces or Soundtracks found in Video games History Early video game technology and computer chip music The earliest games borrowed source material from motifs in iconic horror cinema, though the series later developed a more artistic and dramatic direction drawn from Gothic fiction and dark romanticism. Universal Horror is the name given to the distinctive series of Horror films made by Universal Studios in California Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. For the Primordial demo see Dark Romanticism (Primordial album.

The Castlevania series is one of Konami's most famous franchises, and has seen titles released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Super Nintendo, the Sega Mega Drive, PC Engine, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, PlayStation 2, and Microsoft Xbox video game consoles. The Nintendo Entertainment System (often abbreviated as NES or simply Nintendo) is an 8-bit Video game console that was released by The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit Video game console that was The is a 16-bit Video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 North America in 1989 and the PAL region in 1990 The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console The is a 32-bit Video game console that was first released on November 22 1994 in Japan, May 11 1995 in North America The, often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo 's third home Video game console for the international market The Xbox is a sixth-generation Video game console produced by Microsoft Corporation. Several franchise titles have been released for handheld game consoles, including the Game Boy, the Game Boy Advance, Playstation Portable and the Nintendo DS, and for various personal computer platforms, including the MSX 2, the Commodore 64, the Sharp X68000, the Commodore Amiga, PC MS-DOS, and Microsoft Windows. A handheld game console is a lightweight portable electronic machine for playing Video games Unlike Video game consoles the controls screen and speakers The is a handheld video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The Game Boy Advance (often shortened to GBA) is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed manufactured and marketed by Nintendo. The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP) is a Handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. A personal computer ( PC) is any Computer whose original sales price size and capabilities make it useful for individuals and which is intended to be operated MSX was the name of a standardized Home computer architecture in the 1980s The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The Amiga is a family of Personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation. MS-DOS (short for M icro' s' oft D isk O perating S ystem is an Operating system commercialized by Microsoft. Microsoft Windows is a series of Software Operating systems and Graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft.

Contents 1 Overview 1.1 Recurring major characters 1.1.1 Dracula 1.1.2 The Belmont Family 1.1.3 Enemies 1.2 Recurring castle areas 2 Games 2.1 Chronology 2.2 Availability 3 Development 3.1 Evolution of the games 3.2 Regional variations and localization 4 Merchandise and other media 4.1 Film 5 References 6 External links

Overview

The Castlevania series is about a war between the enchanted family of the Belmonts (originally "Belmondo") and Dracula. whose full name is Dracula Vlad Tepes, is a fictional Vampire from the multi-platform Castlevania Video game series Almost every hundred years, Dracula is resurrected and it is up to the Belmonts to defeat him before he unleashes his wrath on the entire world.

The series is loosely based on Bram Stoker's novel Dracula. Abraham "Bram" Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912 was an Irish writer of novels and short stories who is best known today for his 1897 horror Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary Antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. In fact, the novel is included in the official timeline of the series, with Castlevania: Bloodlines taking place shortly afterwards. Castlevania Bloodlines is the only Castlevania Video game released on the Mega Drive/Genesis. ^[1] The connection even goes as far as to claim that Quincy Morris, a character from the novel, is in fact a Belmont descendant. Morris is also said to have a son, John, and a grandson, Jonathan, who starred in Bloodlines and Portrait of Ruin, respectively. Castlevania Portrait of Ruin, known in Japan as, is an action video game developed and published by Konami. The series also incorporates a variety of other creatures from classic horror fiction, films, fantasy, and mythology. Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience Horror films are Movies that strive to elicit Fear, Horror and terror responses from viewers Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting The word mythology (from the Greek grc μυθολογία mythología, meaning "a story-telling a legendary lore" These monsters serve to obstruct the path to Dracula but are rarely tied to the game's plot.

Recurring major characters

Dracula

Dracula has been the main antagonist throughout the Castlevania series, though the portrayal of the character has varied over time. whose full name is Dracula Vlad Tepes, is a fictional Vampire from the multi-platform Castlevania Video game series He was originally depicted as a standard villain, but the character became much more dramatic as more titles were released. Regardless, Dracula always played an important role in the series; his legacy stays even in Aria of Sorrow, where he doesn't make a physical appearance. In games where Dracula is present, he often dresses the way the original Dracula was conceived - a black suit with a long cape.

The Belmont Family

The Belmont bloodline is sworn to oppose Dracula in all his various forms. In most Castlevania games, the main character is a Belmont. If not, the Belmonts are usually present in the form of supporting characters. The main weapon of choice for the Belmont Family is the ancestral whip, named "Vampire Killer". It has been said that only members of the Belmont family can use the whip; anyone else will eventually die after using it.

Enemies

Throughout the series, Dracula's castle and other locations have been filled with monsters and servants that seek to thwart the heroes' quests. These range from legendary creatures such as Mummies, Harpies and the Catoblepas, to classical and literary monsters such as the Werewolf and Frankenstein's Monster, and even to giant animals, demonic maids, and possessed furniture. A mummy is a Corpse whose Skin and Flesh have been preserved by either intentional or Incidental exposure to Chemicals extreme In Greek mythology, a harpy ("snatcher" from harpȳia ἅρπυια harpūia) was any one of the mainly winged death-spirits best known for constantly The catoblepas (from the Greek καταβλέπω (katablépō "to look downwards" is a Legendary creature from See also Lycanthropy (disambiguation Werewolves, also known as lycanthropes, are mythological or folkloric humans with the ability to Frankenstein's monster (or Frankenstein's creature) is a Fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley 's novel Frankenstein or Among these, some enemy types have been found in nearly all incarnations of the series, and are considered staples.

The Undead

In keeping with its gothic/horror theme, Castlevania includes many undead enemies, such as zombies, skeletons, and ghosts. Undead is a collective name for fictional beings that are deceased yet behave as if alive zombie is a reanimated human corpse Stories of zombies originated in the Afro-Caribbean spiritual belief system of Vodou, which told of the people being controlled In Biology, the skeleton is a strong and often a rigid framework that supports the body of an animal holding it upright and giving it shape and strength (Also skeletal A ghost is said to be the apparition of a Deceased person frequently similar in appearance to that person and usually encountered in places she or he frequented Two of the most common found are zombies that rise from the floor and move towards the hero, and skeletons that throw bones in a high arc. Skeletons equipped with armor and various weapons such as spears, swords, and boomerangs are also common. These seem to be made from the corpses of previous victims, as Aria of Sorrow contained many zombie soldiers who presumably died during the battle in 1999.

Bats

A fictional work revolving around Dracula is not complete without bats. This enemy has been present in almost every Castlevania game (The exception being Castlevania: Curse of Darkness), usually as a weak enemy that flies around in a pattern that makes them hard to hit, and in the process, making it hard for the heroes to get through, especially when the heroes are traversing perilous terrains such as collapsing bridges. These bats have become less and less intimidating as the series progress since now they rarely appear in crucial times (see Medusa Head and Fleamen below for comparison). In the original Castlevania, both red and blue versions existed, the latter of which would wait hanging upside down for the player to get closer before striking.

In contrast, some other bats have become bosses in the series. The first of such bat boss is a Giant Bat (also called Phantom Bat) which is actually the first boss to be introduced to non-arcade Castlevania games. These recurring boss have been seen in different forms, and even inspire some other bosses in later games to mimic their battle style.

Medusa / Medusa Heads

When Medusa first appeared in the first Castlevania title, and even earlier (or later) in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, she was but a head. In Greek mythology, Medusa ( Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa "guardian protectress" was a monstrous Chthonic female character gazing upon Castlevania Lament of Innocence (commonly abbreviated as LoI) is a video game created by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 console However, this so called Medusa Head later becomes one of the most well-known and much hated enemy in the whole Castlevania series, not only for being present in practically every Castlevania game, but also one of the most frustrating enemies in the whole series for often appearing in the worst places at the worst times, usually in the Clock Tower area of the castle, where there are moving gear platforms near a wall or bed of spikes for the player to be knocked into, leading to a large amount of health being lost. To add more frustration, Medusa Heads in later games also have the power to petrify, even though Medusa bosses already have this petrification ability from quite early. These enemies were so hated that GameSpot claimed that they were one of the things in games that gamers love to hate. GameSpot is a video gaming Website that provides News, Reviews Previews Downloads and other information ^[2]

Armored Knights / Living Armors

Castlevania has a large variety of armored knights and living armors. In early games, there are lance-wielding knights and axe-wielding knights - referred to in the series as 'Axe Armor'. Axe Armors can throw their hand axes forward at the player and have them return back. Eventually, more armored knights are added into the series, ranging from a standard sword wielding knight to ones that spin spiked discs like a yoyo, and more. Even their sizes vary greatly, with some knights being of human size, while others are as tall as the room they're in.

Fleamen

These smaller enemies are similar to Medusa Heads, in that their mobility is their main threat. Early in the series, these enemies were slow, but because they jumped around erratically they were a menace. This problem is lessened in the latter games, mostly because they are too weak to inflict considerable damage. Also, they are not considered as deadly as Medusa Heads because unlike the heads, the Fleamen are rarely present in critical areas of the castle, whereas Medusa Heads often appear in areas with many instant/quick-kill threats.

Fish Men / Mermen

The fish-humanoids are present from the very first Castlevania, and are always seen in watery places. They usually attack by spitting, either water or (curiously) fire. Usually mermen appear early on in the game and are regarded as the easier enemies. Usually they appear in large numbers at once.

Legion

Even though its appearance is minuscule compared to other encounters, Legion has appeared in a few recent titles as a boss. It most likely takes its name from the biblical story of the demon Legion where a young man is possessed by numerous demons. See Legion (disambiguation for other concepts with this name Legion, also known as the Gerasene demon, or translated as Lots Legion was called Granfaloon in the European and U. S. versions of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, a reference to Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, where in the book a granfalloon is a group of people who falsely believe they have a meaningful connection to one another. For other uses see Cat's cradle (disambiguation. Cat's Cradle is a 1963 Science fiction Novel by Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Vonnegut Jr (November 11 1922 – April 11 2007 (ˈvɒnəgət was a prolific and genre-bending American Novelist known for works blending Satire, Black A granfalloon, in the fictional religion of Bokononism (created by Kurt Vonnegut in his 1963 novel Cat's Cradle) is defined as a Legion is a living, floating sphere made out of featurless humanoid corpses. It attacks with tentacles within inside of it, which fire lasers. To get to the central weak body, the player will have to attack what the game refers to as its 'corpse armor', until the core of it is revealed.

One instance where Legion is different from this description is in Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon, where Legion is a lesser monster composed of three heads merged together, and with tentacles coming out of their mouths. Touching Legion in Circle Of The Moon results in an ailment known as 'Cursed', which doesn't allow the player to attack anything for a brief period of time.

In Curse of Darkness, after defeating Legion, the core will transform into a featureless bright humanoid figure called Nuculais, hunched over with long arms. It can stretch, shoot laser beams, and teleport through its room that is made from corpses and bones.

Recurring castle areas

More often than not, Castlevania games take place in Dracula's castle (which in the game is named Castlevania). While the castle areas change from time to time^[3], some places seem to stay the same.

Castle Entrance

This section of the castle, as the name suggests, is normally featured early in a Castlevania game. Originally serving as the first level of Castlevania and Vampire Killer, this portion of Dracula's castle is notable for the following characteristics:

• It normally begins outside in a brief forest section, where the character must enter the actual castle via drawbridge or just a regular entrance.
• Inside, the player must reach the main hallway. Often this location has gray walls that are partially crumbled, exposing brick work along with pillars, curtains and tall window sets. The common enemies here are zombies, bats, and sometimes panthers.
• Midway through the level, there is usually a flooded basement section featuring mermen.
• After exiting the basement section, there is usually one final hallway similar to the first main hallway.

Chapel

The supposed place of worship is another of Castlevania's favorite places. One particular characteristic of a Castlevania chapel is its common emphasis on stained glass windows. For the Blackford Oakes novel see Stained Glass (novel The term stained glass refers either to the material of coloured Glass or to the art Sometimes, stained-glass humanoid forms will appear from these windows to attack the player.

Clock Tower

In early games, this portion of the castle is often featured towards the end of the game, serving as either the final stage which leads directly to Dracula's Keep, or the game's second to last stage, an honor which is often lost in latter games even though this place is always located close to the keep. The tower contains spinning gears and pendulums which serve as platforms and enemies that usually consist of Medusa heads and harpies. The Clock Tower is also the one place in the castle with a lot of instant-kill threats, mostly spikes. Death, one of the most frequently recurring boss fights in the series, is often encountered here.

Castle Keep

The keep is Dracula's personal room, so to speak, and because of that, this place has usually been featured in most Castlevania games. A keep is a strong central Tower which is used as a dungeon or a fortress This place is distinct in several ways:

• It is always the highest spot of the castle (though usually matched by the Clock Tower).
• The keep is always connected to the rest of the castle by merely a single long flight of stairs with either a waxing crescent or full moon shown in the background, along with (sometimes) the clock tower.
• In most later games, this keep also serves as a throne room.

Underground Caverns

Literally the wettest place in Castlevania. Inhabitants of this place are usually the mermen, killer fish and other aquatic beasts, though some other enemies also make their home here, such as fractile golems. Quantiles are points taken at regular intervals from the Cumulative distribution function of a Random variable. In Jewish folklore, a golem (גולם sometimes as in Yiddish, pronounced goilem) is an animated being created entirely from inanimate matter In some later games, waterfalls are often seen here. A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock In at least one instance, the water itself acts as poison, but is in fact merely carrying on the tradition of vampires being harmed by running water sources. This happens in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Dungeon

The dungeon stages usually feature backgrounds filled with prison cells (sometimes occupied), chains and wall handcuffs, and skeletons and corpses laying just about everywhere. The stages usually feature such enemies as bone throwing skeletons, hunchbacks, axe wielding knights, and sometimes mudmen. The stage's final stretch usually features a long hallway with these aforementioned knights and then a boss fight.

Arena or Colosseum

The arena has appeared in several Castlevania games as a place with a series of rooms with different enemies. The player must defeat all the enemies in a room to go to the next one, with an enemy free area in between to heal and regain mana. Rewards in the form of highly powerful weapons and armor would be at the end of the last room, or in the case of Aria of Sorrow, at the end of every room (there were only 3, however). The arena is not required in most of the games, but is rather just a place to get weapons and gain levels. In Circle of the Moon, the arena is extremely long, and the player is quickly drained of magic, to prevent the use of DSS (CotM's form of magic).

Games

See also: List of Castlevania titles

Chronology

Prior to the release of Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, every game in the series was accepted as canon, with the original versions of certain games (such as the original Castlevania and Dracula X) usually accepted as the canonical interpretation of certain events. Castlevania is a series created and developed by Konami. The series debuted in Japan on September 26 1986 with, which later was released in the United This article is not about Literary canons of influential works of fiction but about the concept of a canon which defines the world of a particular fictional series This was assumed even though there was no official unified direction to the series's storyline (other than conflicts against Dracula). However, when Koji Igarashi took over as producer for the series, he revised the timeline and removed Castlevania Legends, the Nintendo 64 Castlevania, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon from it. also known simply by the nickname IGA, is a Konami employee and the current producer of the Castlevania video game series According to an interview later conducted with 1UP.com, the only game he deliberately retconned was Castlevania Legends, whereas the other games were produced to be side-stories from the start. 1UPcom is a video-game site owned and operated by Ziff Davis Media, publisher of the popular video game magazine EGM (Electronic Gaming Monthly. ^[4]

With the release of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Konami of America had included a pre-order bonus "20th Anniversary" package that includes a Castlevania series timeline. This timeline includes the dates for Castlevania (Nintendo 64), Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. However, it does not include the date for Castlevania Legends. ^[5]. There is no explanation in the package for Konami's reasons for the inclusion of those three dates (with the lack of the Legends' date).

The following is the timeline provided with the pre-order of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and as such is the most current timeline:

Year	Game	Main Character(s)
1094	Castlevania: Lament of Innocence	Leon Belmont
1476	Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse	Trevor C. Castlevania Portrait of Ruin, known in Japan as, is an action video game developed and published by Konami. Castlevania Lament of Innocence (commonly abbreviated as LoI) is a video game created by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2 console Castlevania III Dracula's Curse, known in Japan as, is the third installment in the Castlevania series of Video games. Belmont, Sypha Belnades, Grant DaNasty, Alucard
1479	Castlevania: Curse of Darkness	Hector
1576	Castlevania: The Adventure	Christopher Belmont
1591	Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge	Christopher Belmont
1691	Castlevania	Simon Belmont
1698	Castlevania II: Simon's Quest	Simon Belmont
1748	Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance	Juste Belmont
1792	Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles/Castlevania: Dracula X	Richter Belmont, Maria Renard
1797	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night	Alucard
1830	Castlevania: Circle of the Moon	Nathan Graves
1844	Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness	Cornell
1852	Castlevania	Reinhardt Schneider, Carrie Fernandez
1897*	Bram Stoker's Dracula*	Quincy Morris*
1917	Castlevania: Bloodlines	John Morris, Eric Lecarde
1944	Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin	Jonathan Morris, Charlotte Aulin
1999**	Unnamed Game**	Julius Belmont**
2035	Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow	Soma Cruz
2036	Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow	Soma Cruz

* Not an actual game, but a book from which some character are taken. better known as is a Fictional character in Konami 's ''Castlevania'' series of Video games His first appearance in the series was in the 1990 Castlevania Curse of Darkness, known in Japan as, is a Console video game developed by Konami for the Xbox and PlayStation Castlevania The Adventure, known in Japan as, is the first Castlevania game for the Game Boy. For the NES version of Castlevania II see Castlevania II Simon's Quest. Castlevania, known in Japan as, is a Console video game developed and published by Konami for the Famicom Disk System in Japan in is a fictional protagonist in the Castlevania series of Video games published by Konami. "Castlevania II" and "Castlevania 2" redirect here Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance (commonly abbreviated HoD) is a Video game created by Konami for the Nintendo Game Castlevania The Dracula X Chronicles, known in Japan as, is a PlayStation Portable game in the popular Castlevania series of games by Konami Castlevania Dracula X is a platform game developed and published by Konami and based on Akumajou Dracula X Chi no Rondo, which was previously Castlevania Symphony of the Night is a 2D Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997 Castlevania Circle of the Moon, known simply as Castlevania in Europe and as in Japan, is a Video game created by Castlevania Legacy of Darkness is a Video game that was developed and published by Konami for the Castlevania is a video game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. Abraham "Bram" Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912 was an Irish writer of novels and short stories who is best known today for his 1897 horror Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary Antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. Quincey P Morris is a Fictional character in Bram Stoker 's novel Dracula. Castlevania Bloodlines is the only Castlevania Video game released on the Mega Drive/Genesis. Castlevania Portrait of Ruin, known in Japan as, is an action video game developed and published by Konami. is an Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. Soma Cruz, known in Japan as, is a fictional character and the Protagonist of Konami 's Action-adventure games Castlevania Aria of Sorrow is an Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami.
** Alluded to in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and by Koji Igarashi, series producer. is an Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami for the Game Boy Advance. also known simply by the nickname IGA, is a Konami employee and the current producer of the Castlevania video game series

Availability

Akumajō Dracula X Chi no Rondo, considered by many Castlevania fans to be the "Holy Grail" of the series due to having high levels reached in its graphics and music, the game is huge and considered to be the most true Castlevania game ever made. Dracula X redirects here For the American SNES game see Castlevania Dracula X, and for the Playstation and Sega Saturn sequel see Castlevania Symphony of the Having been released solely on the Japanese PC Engine CD console, it still sells for over one hundred dollars on various internet auction sites, as does the original Japanese version of the MSX installment, Vampire Killer. The, known as TurboGrafx-16 in the USA is a Video game console developed by the Nippon Electric Company (NEC and released in Japan on October Vampire Killer ( 1986) is a game for the MSX 2 home computer produced by Konami and released in Japan, Europe An "enhanced" remake of Rondo of Blood was released for the PlayStation Portable under the name of Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles although to many it was considered a letdown. The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP) is a Handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Castlevania The Dracula X Chronicles, known in Japan as, is a PlayStation Portable game in the popular Castlevania series of games by Konami Other rare editions include the original Sharp X68000 remake of the first title in the series, which was later re-released on the original PlayStation under the moniker Castlevania Chronicles. is a 2001 PlayStation remake of the 1993 Sharp X68000 version of the original Akumajō Dracula.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow has been found to be in short supply, and therefore, has been put back into production as of Fall 2006. is an Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami. Furthermore, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, one of the most popular games in the series, has become a rare find. Castlevania Symphony of the Night is a 2D Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997 In particular, there is a version that was released on Sega Saturn (with areas and playable characters not in the Playstation original), which is considered yet another lost treasure in the series. This version never received Western releases. It is also available on the Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points, and the Playstation Store for $9. 99. The NES version of the original Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest and Super Castlevania IV on the SNES have all been released on the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console service. Castlevania, known in Japan as, is a Console video game developed and published by Konami for the Famicom Disk System in Japan in "Castlevania II" and "Castlevania 2" redirect here Super Castlevania IV, known as in Japan is a platform game developed and published by Konami and the first Castlevania game for the Super Virtual Console, sometimes abbreviated as VC, is a specialized section of the Wii Shop Channel, an online service that allows players to purchase and download ^[6] Symphony of the Night was released on the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade service March 21, 2007 and on the PlayStation Network on July 19, 2007. The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to digitally distribute video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners Symphony of the Night is also unlockable in Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles, along with the original version of Rondo of Blood. GameTap has also included the 3 NES Castlevania games (as well as Contra & Super C; as part of a Konami Collection for PC) and Castlevania: Bloodlines are available to play on the service. GameTap is an American online Video game service by Turner Broadcasting System (TBS Castlevania Bloodlines is the only Castlevania Video game released on the Mega Drive/Genesis.

Development

Evolution of the games

The very first console title was a typical platform game in which the player takes the role of Simon Belmont, a descendant of the Belmont clan, a bloodline of whip wielding vampire hunters as he ventures inside Castlevania, the demonic castle of Count Dracula and fights a variety of supernatural beasts through the castle up to its master's keep to destroy him. Platform game, or platformer, is a video game genre characterized by jumping to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles is a fictional protagonist in the Castlevania series of Video games published by Konami. A vampire hunter or vampire slayer is someone who specializes in finding and destroying Vampires In Dark whose full name is Dracula Vlad Tepes, is a fictional Vampire from the multi-platform Castlevania Video game series The whip used by the Belmont family is a holy relic passed down generation to generation named the Vampire Killer, which was blessed with the power to destroy vampires and other creatures of the night. Vampire Killer ( 1986) is a game for the MSX 2 home computer produced by Konami and released in Japan, Europe The games also feature secondary weapons that are powered by hearts, all of which can be found by destroying candles. Common secondary weapons are the straight-flying dagger, the overhead-thrown axe, the ground-burning vial of holy water, a Bible that flies in a circular motion around the screen, the cross, which is wielded like a boomerang, and a stopwatch with the power of very briefly freezing time. A dagger (from Vulgar Latin: 'daca' - a Dacian Knife) is a typically double-edged blade used for Stabbing or thrusting The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape split and cut Wood, Harvest timber, as a Weapon Holy water can also refer to water that has been blessed, such as by a Priest, and is considered Holy. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other dividing one or two of the lines in half A boomerang is a simple implement used for various purposes It is primarily associated with Australian Aborigines but has been found amongst peoples of North A stopwatch is a handheld Timepiece designed to measure the amount of time elapsed from a particular time when activated to when the piece is deactivated Its first sequel, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, featured several RPG-influenced elements, including a retractable world map the player was free to explore and revisit, purchase supplies, equipment and weapon upgrades in several different towns, and a leveling up system by gaining experience by vanquishing foes. "Castlevania II" and "Castlevania 2" redirect here A console role-playing game is a video game genre that has its origin rooted in Video game consoles and includes game mechanics and frequently settings derived The third console game returned to the traditional style and gameplay of its original predecessor while updating it with new features such as alternate paths with new and different stages and multiple playable characters, introducing allies to fight alongside with the Belmonts together against Dracula and his legions of demons and monsters. Castlevania III Dracula's Curse, known in Japan as, is the third installment in the Castlevania series of Video games.

The major turning point in the gameplay mechanics, physics, and overall aesthetic of the series was Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Aesthetics or esthetics ( also spelled æsthetics) is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values sometimes called Castlevania Symphony of the Night is a 2D Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997 Symphony was the progenitor of what is sometimes called a Castleroid (also called: Metroidvania) style of game due to its many similarities to the Metroid series (primarily Super Metroid), and combines this with the console RPG concepts of experience levels, hit points and magic points, usable items and collectible new powers and abilities, weapons, armor and other equipment. Castlevania Symphony of the Night is a 2D Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997 is a series of Science fiction adventure Video games conceived by designer Gunpei Yokoi and produced by Nintendo. also known as Metroid 3, is an adventure Video game developed by Nintendo R&D1 and Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo A console role-playing game is a video game genre that has its origin rooted in Video game consoles and includes game mechanics and frequently settings derived Health is a Game mechanic used in computer and Video games to give value to characters, enemies NPCs, and related objects Magic points ( MP; also called mana) are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games Most subsequent Castlevania games have since followed this new style, with the replacement of the secondary weapons by complex magic systems in which spell components are obtained from enemies or found in the castle. These systems use hearts to replenish MP and often include most of the classic secondary weapons among the much larger variety of spells and attacks.

In addition to reinventing the technical aspects of Castlevania, Symphony adopted an entirely new image and art direction for the world in which the games took place and the characters that existed within it. The early installments portrayed something of a sword and sorcery or dark fantasy thematic interspersed with a rugged, leather armor bound look for the Belmont bloodline. Sword and sorcery ( S&S) is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts Dark fantasy is a subgenre that combines elements of fantasy including marvelous abilities with those of horror With the advent of illustrator and concept artist Ayami Kojima onto the development team beginning with Symphony, the design underwent a total transformation into an elegant, hauntingly beautiful appearance inspired by the European Mannerist and Baroque art periods befitting of its romantic Gothic horror theme. is a Japanese illustrator and concept artist that is most well known for her work on the Castlevania series of Video games Mannerism is a period of European art which emerged from the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520. Baroque painting is the Painting associated with the Baroque Cultural movement, a movement often identified with the existence of important Baroque Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. As such the characters' dress and condition evolved into ornate and grand ensembles including flowing jackets, vests and period attire and the imagery and landscape of the castle and surrounding locales became lush and lavish. The categorization of Time into discrete named blocks is called Periodization. The two Nintendo DS Castlevania games' art style reverted back to a simpler anime style similar to that of the original Dracula X: Rondo of Blood in hopes of broadening the player demographic by not discouraging slightly younger Nintendo DS owners to be put off by the more mature image of Kojima's art. The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. (anime in Japanese, Dracula X redirects here For the American SNES game see Castlevania Dracula X, and for the Playstation and Sega Saturn sequel see Castlevania Symphony of the The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. ^[7] Dawn of Sorrow was the first game to receive this makeover, and the second DS release Portrait of Ruin followed suit. ^[8] Kojima returned for the PSP remake of Rondo of Blood, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. Castlevania The Dracula X Chronicles, known in Japan as, is a PlayStation Portable game in the popular Castlevania series of games by Konami

The first games in the series to employ 3D graphics were released to mixed reactions in critical and public venues. 3D computer graphics (in contrast to 2D computer graphics) are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer These include Castlevania and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness for the Nintendo 64. Castlevania is a video game developed and published by Konami for the Nintendo 64. Castlevania Legacy of Darkness is a Video game that was developed and published by Konami for the The, often abbreviated as N64, is Nintendo 's third home Video game console for the international market In Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, as well as in the two DS titles, backgrounds were occasionally three-dimensional.

IGA has recently stated that if The Dracula X Chronicles does well, the series may return to the more traditional style of the original games, possibly suggesting further remakes for the Chronicles titles.

Regional variations and localization

In Japan, the series is most commonly known as Akumajō Dracula ("Demon Castle Dracula"). However, not every installment of the franchise has borne that title. For example, the first two installments for the Nintendo Game Boy were released under the title Dracula Densetsu ("Dracula Legend") and the game known in North America as Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse was originally released in Japan as Akumajō Densetsu. is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on The is a handheld video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Castlevania III Dracula's Curse, known in Japan as, is the third installment in the Castlevania series of Video games. Castlevania: Bloodlines was also released as Vampire Killer in Japan. Castlevania Bloodlines is the only Castlevania Video game released on the Mega Drive/Genesis. Starting with the release of Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance for the Game Boy Advance, the Japanese games adopted the "Castlevania" name for a brief period. Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance (commonly abbreviated HoD) is a Video game created by Konami for the Nintendo Game The Game Boy Advance (often shortened to GBA) is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed manufactured and marketed by Nintendo. According to series producer Koji Igarashi (or IGA, as he is commonly known), the developers chose to adopt the Castlevania moniker as a way to involve scenarios that do not solely revolve around Dracula himself. also known simply by the nickname IGA, is a Konami employee and the current producer of the Castlevania video game series Later bowing to overwhelming fan demand, Konami returned to the "Akumajō Dracula" branding for the Japanese release of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. is an Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami.

The series is also known for the differences between the Japanese and English language versions. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Particularly in earlier installments, the localization process usually removes a heavy share of violence, nudity and religious imagery and references. In Computing, Internationalization and localization (also spelled internationalisation and localisation, see spelling differences) are means of adapting Removal of such material is prevalent in Nintendo and Super Nintendo titles Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and Super Castlevania IV due to Nintendo of America's strict censorship policies at the time. Super Castlevania IV, known as in Japan is a platform game developed and published by Konami and the first Castlevania game for the Super Castlevania: Bloodlines, for the Sega Genesis, was renamed Castlevania: The New Generation for European release to avoid the blood reference used in the American title. In addition, blood and gore was re-colored and removed throughout the European game. Although censorship policies vary from country to country in Europe, some countries, including Germany's strict "decency standards," may inevitably affect the content released throughout the entire continent.

In addition, the English localizations have been plagued by a number of inconsistencies from their original Japanese counterparts. Two prevalent alterations to the "Belmont" surname are "Belmondo", "Belmond", or "Berumondo" in the Japanese games. In the Xbox version of Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, Hector clearly says "Belmont," yet the subtitles incorrectly reads "Belmondo. " The name of the protagonist of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse was changed from "Ralph C. Castlevania III Dracula's Curse, known in Japan as, is the third installment in the Castlevania series of Video games. Belmondo" to "Trevor Belmont" for the English version. A notable mistake is the misspelling of the character name "Soleiyu Belmont" from Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge. For the NES version of Castlevania II see Castlevania II Simon's Quest. It is a mistransliteration of "Soleil," French for "sun. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people "

Merchandise and other media

• Simon Belmont was one of the stars in the animated series Captain N: The Game Master. is a fictional protagonist in the Castlevania series of Video games published by Konami. Captain N The Game Master is an Animated television series that aired on U ^[9] He was a member of the N-Team, a group of mostly video game characters who defended Videoland against the evils of Mother Brain from Metroid and others. is the first game in the ''Metroid'' series of video games It was released first for the Famicom Disk System on August 6, 1986 He does not appear in the Captain N Valiant Comics series. Valiant Comics was an American Comic book Publishing company founded by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter, writer/artists Dracula (referred to only as "The Count" in the series) was also one of the villains in Captain N. Alucard also appeared in one episode, though he was portrayed as a rebellious skateboarding teenager. Several other Castlevania monsters appeared in cameo roles, including Frankenstein, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, and the Skull Knight. Simon is portrayed as egotistical on the show.

• Action figure and collectible manufacturer company NECA officially licensed Castlevania to produce a line of models of characters due for distribution in October of 2007. An action figure is a posable character Figurine, made of Plastic or other materials and often based upon a movie, Comic book, Video game The National Entertainment Collectibles Association or NECA is an American manufacturer of collectibles typically licensed from films sports music and television The first series includes Simon Belmont, Dracula, Alucard, and the succubus from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. is a fictional protagonist in the Castlevania series of Video games published by Konami. whose full name is Dracula Vlad Tepes, is a fictional Vampire from the multi-platform Castlevania Video game series better known as is a Fictional character in Konami 's ''Castlevania'' series of Video games His first appearance in the series was in the 1990 Castlevania Symphony of the Night is a 2D Action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997 ^[10]

• In 2005 IDW Publishing released a comic book adaptation Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy written by Marc Andreyko with art by E. J. Su. IDW Publishing (a division of Idea and Design Works is an American Comic book company. Marc Andreyko is an openly gay Comic book and Screenplay writer known for writing the 2000s ongoing series Manhunter for EJ Su is an American Comic book Artist and Penciller. He is best known for his work on IDW Publishing 's Transformers It was based on the Castlevania game, Belmont's Revenge. ^[11]

• On October 13 2006 comic book writer Warren Ellis announced on his blog that he is on board to pen an animated film adaptation of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse for Project 51 Productions. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Warren Ellis (born February 16, 1968) is a British author of Comics Novels and Television, well known for sociocultural Castlevania III Dracula's Curse, known in Japan as, is the third installment in the Castlevania series of Video games. James Jean will be the art director. James Jean (born 1979 is a Taiwanese American award winning Artist and illustrator living in Los Angeles. ^[12]

• In the chapter W is for Winner of Maddox humor book The Alphabet of Manliness, Castlevania is listed as an example of a winner. George Ouzounian, better known The Alphabet of Manliness is the debut book by American Humorist and Internet personality Maddox, published in 2006. In particular, he names the first game, Dracula's Curse, Super Castlevania IV, Symphony of the Night and Dawn of Sorrow as "winners".

• The final chapter of the eighth volume in the manga Hellsing is titled "Castlevania". ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly

• In the video game version of the movie Van Helsing, one of the rooms is a library. Van Helsing is a Third-person shooter for the Play Station 2 and Xbox which resembles the events of the 2004 action/horror Van Helsing is a 2004 American action / Horror film about Vampire hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, written and One of the sections of books mentions a book about the Belmont family and their quests against Dracula.

• A beatmania IIDX version of Bloody Tears has been featured in beatmania IIDX 13 DistorteD and Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2. is the name of a traditional tune in the Castlevania series The tune was composed by the team of Kenichi Matsubara, Masahiro Ikariko, Kazuhiko Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2 is an arcade game in the Dance Dance Revolution series of Music video games It was produced by Konami

• On November 21, 2007, a computer game parody of the series called Hasslevania was released by DXF Games. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. In it, Rovert Bellhump moves into a new house which is located next to Count Dracula's Castle Hasslevania.

Film

In November 2005, Crystal Sky Pictures acquired the rights to adapt the video game series for the big screen. This is a list of Video game franchises organised alphabetically by name The company attached Paul W.S. Anderson to write and direct the film adaptation, with production slated to begin in mid-2006. Paul William Scott Anderson (also known as Paul WS Anderson or Paul Anderson) born 4 March 1965 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England is a Film director Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a Feature film. ^[13] Later in the month, Dimension Films entered negotiations with Crystal Sky for North American distribution of Castlevania. Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. The film adaptation was estimated to have a budget of $50 million. ^[14] In July 2006, producer Jeremy Bolt explained that Castlevania will "integrate a Dracula origin story. . . with the story of the Belmonts. " Bolt also said that the film would refer back to early versions of the games. ^[15] Director Anderson reiterated Bolt's description, adding that Dracula and Simon Belmont would be key characters in the film. Anderson also indicated that the "very lush, Romantic, Gothic look" of the 3D incarnations of the Castlevania series would be used in the film. He also expressed his hope in using the games' composer, Michiru Yamane, to score the film's soundtrack. (born 1963 is a video game composer from Japan. She is known primarily for her work on the Castlevania series and other Konami games ^[16]

In November 2006, Rogue Pictures replaced Dimension Films, who reneged over script differences, in handling North American distribution of Castlevania, with Crystal Sky Pictures handling international distribution. Rogue Pictures is a division of Universal Pictures, which is a division of NBC Universal. Paul W. S. Anderson described Castlevania to take place in many time periods, but primarily in 15th century Transylvania. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian The director and producer Jeremy Bolt had scouted locations in Hungary and Romania, with plans to build castle interiors in Budapest. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Budapest ( also /ˈbʊ-/) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country's principal Political, Principal photography was slated to begin in spring 2007. ^[17]

In January 2007, director Anderson said the studio was still finalizing the film's budget, and filming would begin in fall or winter in Transylvania and Hungary. Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic According to the director, the filming was postponed because production had desired snow on the ground for the film's forest scenes. Anderson described the locations, "It was like discovering Mordor as a real location -- epic, dramatic, and above all scary. These locations haven't been shot properly in a mainstream movie, so that is always extra exciting. . . to put something on camera that hasn't been seen before. " The director also revealed that post-production and effects work for Castlevania would be done in London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. ^[18]

In June 2007, Anderson conceded directing duties to Sylvain White in order to take on the project Death Race, a remake of Death Race 2000. Sylvain White is a Film director. Son of an American professional Basketball player and a French Flight attendant, Sylvain White Death Race is an Action film written and directed by Paul W S Death Race 2000 is a cult action Film directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine, Simone Griffeth White, who played the Castlevania video game in the early 1990s, was attracted to the prospect of filming a vampire film. White explained, "Most of the vampire films have been present or set in the future, from Blade to Underworld, and I was attracted by the chance to make a dark, epic period movie that almost has an anime feel to it. Blade is a 1998 vampire Action film starring Wesley Snipes and Stephen Dorff, loosely based on the published stories Underworld is a 2003 action - horror Film about the Secret history of Vampires and a type of werewolf known as " The new director, who negotiated a salary of seven figures, will rewrite the script with Anderson's assistance. The premise will involve a Transylvanian knight and his men seeking refuge in a Gothic castle. They discover that the castle is controlled by the original vampire, Vlad the Impaler. The awakening of the vampire leads to a generational clash between Vlad and the Belmont clan, who seek to defeat him. Production of Castlevania is slated to begin in late fall 2007 in South Africa and Romania. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Castlevania is planned for a late 2008 release. ^[19] In October 2007, Anderson said that he hoped to have a script within two or three weeks before the onset of the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike. The 2007&ndash2008 Writers Guild of America strike, or more commonly known as the Writers' Strike was a strike by the Writers Guild of America East Producer Jeremy Bolt said that production was intended to begin in spring 2008. ^[20]

In December 2007, Rogue Pictures halted active development of Castlevania due to the writers' strike. "Development hell" is media-industry Jargon for a Film, Television Screenplay, Computer program, Concept, or Despite the shelfing, White remains committed to direct the film. ^[21]

References

External links

• Akumajō Dracula series at Konami Tokyo (Japanese)
• Castlevania series at Konami USA
• The Castlevania series at MobyGames
• Chapel of Resonance (fansite)
• Wikia has a wiki on this subject: Castlevania

MobyGames is a Website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present Wikia (originally Wikicities) is a selective Free web hosting service for Wikis (or Wiki farm) operated by Wikia Inc

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