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Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a compilation of emulated versions of some of the first games in the Castlevania franchise in True HD graphics, along with the digital book The History of Castlevania, which contains information about the titles included. It was developed by Konami and initially released on May 16, 2019.
The collection includes the NES versions of Castlevania, Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and Kid Dracula, along with Castlevania: The Adventure (Game Boy), Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge (Game Boy), Castlevania: Bloodlines (Mega Drive) and Super Castlevania IV (SNES), each with optional improvements and other settings that may be of your interest. There’s also a booklet it cool stuff about the franchise.
Published by Konami itself and released for Windows, PlayStation 4, Luna and Xbox One, Castlevania Anniversary Collection was generally well received by critics. In addition, it has hundreds of positive reviews on Steam, at least so far.
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Gameplay
The Castlevania Anniversary Collection encompasses the classic games of the Castlevania franchise, starting with the first title from 1986. It includes games across various platforms, such as the NES, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, and Sega Genesis. All of these can be played through an emulator, which allows you to save progress at any time and adjust the screen aspect for a more retro style, including simulated scanlines for that old TV feel.
Each game offers six different display settings, three primary options, and three identical ones but using scanlines and blurred graphics:
- Original – keeps the original 4:3 aspect ratio, stretched to fit the screen.
- Pixel Perfect – maintains the pixels as in the original game without stretching to full screen.
- 16:9 – stretched to fit widescreen devices.
The games in this collection follow the classic Castlevania style, with high difficulty and punishing gameplay, where falls can result in instant death. However, the quick-save feature of the emulation reduces frustration, allowing players to retry without starting from scratch. It’s like the popular save state function.
While emulation offers additional options — like screen adjustments and switching between English and Japanese versions — there are reported issues, such as occasional screen tears and slowdowns during heavily loaded scenes. This happens in a few titles, which could affect the experience for those seeking complete fidelity to the original hardware. But this might be a minor issue.
Games included
Castlevania
The original game, which introduced players to the Castlevania style, features challenging difficulty and a memorable soundtrack. It’s an action-platformer that was groundbreaking at the time of its release, with the classic gameplay that defined the series.
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest
Unlike the original, Simon’s Quest is a more open Metroidvania that includes exploration, RPG, and adventure elements. In this title, players can interact with NPCs and explore the world in a less linear manner.
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse
Considered one of the most difficult games in the collection, Dracula’s Curse allows switching between four characters, each with unique abilities, adding extra strategy to the gameplay, which also combines action and platforming.
Super Castlevania IV
This is a remake of the first Castlevania, now with 16-bit graphics for the Super Nintendo. One of the main improvements is the ability to use the whip in multiple directions, making this action-platformer more dynamic and accessible.
Castlevania: The Adventure
This action-platformer was the first in the series to be released on Game Boy. It has simplified mechanics compared to other titles, and the character loses strength when hit, increasing the difficulty.
Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge
The sequel to The Adventure, Belmont’s Revenge is regarded as a much more polished game, with improvements in gameplay, difficulty, and graphics compared to the first Game Boy title. It combines action and platforming, closer to the classic formula.
Castlevania Bloodlines
Released for the Mega Drive/Genesis, this action-platformer features two playable characters, advanced graphics, and well-developed gameplay. It’s considered by some to be one of the best titles in the series.
Kid Dracula
This unique title had never been released in English until the Anniversary Collection. Although it may appear aimed at younger players, this action-platformer presents intense challenges, especially in later stages.
Japanese versions
In addition to the American versions, the collection includes the Japanese versions of the games (which can be toggled). Although there’s no language difference, some Japanese versions present minor variations compared to the North American versions, providing a slightly different experience.
The Japanese versions include a total of 7 games:
- Akumajou Dracula (1986, Famicom) – Castlevania (NES, 1987)
- Akumajou Densetsu (1989, Famicom) – Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (NES, 1990)
- Akumajō Dracula (1991, Super Famicom) – Super Castlevania IV (SNES, 1991)
- Dracula Densetsu (1989, Game Boy) – Castlevania: The Adventure
- Dracula Densetsu II (1991, Game Boy) – Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge
- Vampire Killer (1994, Mega Drive) – Castlevania: Bloodlines (Genesis, 1994)
- Akumajō Supesharu: Boku Dorakyura-kun (1993, Famicom) – Kid Dracula (Famicom, English version released in Anniversary Collection, 2019)
The History of Castlevania – Book of the Crescent Moon
The History of Castlevania – Book of the Crescent Moon is not a game, but rather a collection of information and artwork on the franchise’s history, making it a valuable bonus material.
About the bundle
Konami’s Castlevania Anniversary Collection traces the origins of the historic vampire franchise. Included is a unique eBook with details provided by developers, artists and others inspired by the Castlevania legacy which sheds a fresh light into the world of Castlevania.
Released as part of the Konami 50th Anniversary celebration, relive these timeless classics that helped define the platformer genre. From the Belmont clan to their extended bloodlines and allies, the Castlevania Anniversary Collection is the best first step for anyone to take into the world of Castlevania and the fight against Dracula!
- Castlevania
- Castlevania II Simon’s Quest
- Castlevania III Dracula’s Curse
- Super Castlevania IV
- Castlevania The Adventure
- Castlevania II Belmont’s Revenge
- Castlevania Bloodlines
- Kid Dracula (never released in English before)
- History of Castlevania – Book of the Crescent Moon
The History of Castlevania
The History of Castlevania is a digital booklet with some design documents for all of the games, including original game covers, artwork and additional information about the franchise. It’s an interesting bonus for fans who want to understand more about the evolution and context of Castlevania over the years.
It has about 100 pages and contains:
- Box Art Gallery – English and Japanese cover arts of included titles;
- Features Titles – story and information on each of the included titles;
- Key Person Interviews – interview with Michiru Yamane and Adi Shankar;
- Castlevania Research Reports – chronology and charts;
- Design Archives – making-of design materials such as storyboards and sketches.