Summary
TheCastlevania Dominus Collectionincludes five different Castlevania entries. Like the Castlevania Classic Collection, it modernizes some of the older titles while also adding a few extra features, such as the ability to save anywhere or be able to rewind time to avoid death. This is great if you just want to enjoy the stories, which are more in-depth than the old SNES and NES games.
While most of the titles included are ports of the Nintendo DS games, they feel completely different on modern platforms. There is even a lesser-known title included, which comes in its original classic look but is also completely remade. Here is every game in the Castlevania Dominus Collection Ranked.
Every Castlevania collection comes with a few smaller titles that were either exclusively released in Japan or were not as well known as their mainline counterparts. Haunted Castle is one of those games, but despite being smaller in scope, it does not make it any less worthy of play. Haunted Castle was one of the first Castlevania games to be released in arcades and features a simple story. Simon Belmont is on a quest to save his wife, Selena, from Dracula.
Of course,arcades are meant to take your tokens, so Haunted Castle is going to be more on the difficult side. With only six stages to get through, though, it makes for a fun challenge when you don’t want to play through an entire story. These short experiences are great, especially on the Switch when you’re on the go. With the new rewind system, getting through Haunted Castle might just be a bit easier unless you want to truly challenge yourself.
4Haunted Castle Revisited
A Quality Of Life Upgrade
Speaking of Haunted Castle, the Castlevania Dominus Collection also includes a completely remastered version of the game. This is Haunted Castle Revisited and, in many ways, it improves on the original to provide a more modern experience. This is especially notable with the updated graphics and the easier-to-manage controls. This does, however, take a toll on the difficulty level of the original.
Luckily, the game features a difficulty slider that allows you to have a tougher experience. One example is being able to play through Haunted Castle Revisited without any continues. What makes this game such a nice addition to the Dominus Collection is that it almost feels like a classic SNES Castlevania game. If you told someone that this version of the game was released years ago, it would be believable. This gives the collection a nice variety that goes along well with theDS masterpiecesthat are included alongside it.
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is a sequel to Castlevania: Bloodlines and features two different protagonists, Jonathan and Charlotte. However, rather than having you choose just one as your character, both will need to cooperate if they want to stop the return of Dracula. Jonathan wields a whip while Charlotte uses magic. You can switch between these two at will. This also means that you need to learn which one is better suited for any given situation.
There are alsopuzzles that need to be solved, which require both characters. You can even launch devastating attacks that combine both of their powers together. Portrait of Ruin is an excellent title in the Castlevania Dominus Collection due to its innovative gameplay. The set designs also take advantage of having the portraits transport you to different worlds. This makes it so you’re never just stuck inside a castle setting but get to explore London-like towns and Egyptian empires. This also adds more monsters to the roster for you to fight off. The game just has so much variety to it that it never gets boring.
Every Castlevania game offers a new gimmick for players to discover. Some let you use multiple characters, others let you control the whip in a more freestyle way. This one offers a Glyph system that really pushes the game to the top in terms of interesting gameplay. The game is a mix of whata modern-day Metroidvaniafeels like while at the same time having RPG elements. The game also has a more gothic design than the other two titles on the Nintendo DS, which opted for a more anime look.
The most defining feature of all is the inclusion of Glyphs. These Glyphs can be found all around the game world but also dropped by enemies. Absorbing them allows you to use different powers and abilities, which gives the game plenty of combat variety. You’ll be using these to put an end to the monsters that are attacking but also to rescue villagers that are scattered around the world map. Doing this can be quite a challenge, with some of them hidden behind secret walls.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is a Sequel to Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, which is one of the best Castlevania games on the Game Boy Advance. So, if you already enjoyed that entry, then you’re in good hands. The story follows Soma Cruz, the supposed successor to Dracula. After denying his destiny in the previous game, a new cult rises, and they are determined to see him pay.
Now Soma must explore a mysterious castle filled with monsters to prevent Dracula from returning. Dawn of Sorrow features a Tactical Soul System, which allows you to absorb the souls and abilities of enemies. you’re able to even upgrade them by collecting additional souls of the same type to obtain even more powerful abilities. This game just hits all the right bars in terms of story, progression, magic system, and so much more. If you love those Castlevania beats, then the soundtrack will also get stuck in your head as you fight to see the light of day once more.
