Electronic Gaming Monthly's Top 20 Castlevania Games (Part 1)

Castlevania: Judgment (Wii)

#20

With a series average of 7.9 out of 10, I think it's safe to say that Electronic Gaming Monthly liked Castlevania. They reviewed twenty games between 1990 and 2009, and only three of them receiving a score lower than a 7. This was a consistent franchise that rarely misfired. But that's not something you can say about the first game we're going to talk about today -- Castlevania: Judgment. This misguided spin-off is the worst-reviewed game in the entire franchise, and it's not even close. It's an example of a game that is so bad that it somehow manages to ruin both Castlevania and fighting games.

Richard needed more than garlic and holy water to review this Castlevania game: "Beyond the strange art direction, Judgment suffers from jarring mechanics that disregard established fighting game conventions. The uncompromising camera displays the action in a bizarre, disconcerting manner that tracks players in a 3D area filled with environmental hazards. And in combat, the camera's way too difficult to control. The camera isn't the only shortcoming. Character design stands at the center of every fighter -- and unfortunately for Castlevania's cast of vampires and vampire killers, Judgment leans dangerously over the edge. In the end, Castlevania Judgment is a strange misstep for the beloved series, one that Konami hopefully learns from." With EGM going out of business in 2009, Judgment ended up being the magazine's final taste of Castlevania. That's a shame, because with a score of D-, I think it's fair to say that this awful fighting game was an anomaly in the long-running franchise. Killing EGM is the worst thing Dracula ever did.

Castlevania Legends (GB)

#19

Released nine years into the Game Boy's lifespan, Castlevania Legends is an installment that came out at the wrong time. Not only was it coming out at a time when the EGM editors were largely done with the aging portable, but it was also the first Castlevania game to come out after Symphony of the Night breathed new life into the franchise. With all this working against it, there was no way that this 8-bit throwback was going to win over the critics. You saw that in Crispin's review: "The Castlevania series has made huge strides on every console but the Game Boy. While this newest installment packs the basic Castlevania ingredients, it's too short and the control is often unforgiving." Shawn agreed that it's too short and easy, but still found a silver lining. "This installment in the Castlevania series is best suited as a training course for aspiring Castlevania gamers. If you've never played a Castlevania game and wanted to learn the basics, this will help." Let's be honest here, that's not a very good reason to play a game, which is why Castlevania Legends averaged a score of 4.7 out of 10.

Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES)

#18

If you were a Castlevania fan reading EGM in the mid-1990s, then you probably heard a lot about a fabled Japanese installment called Dracula X: Rondo of Blood. Released on the PC Engine and featuring incredible cinemas (complete with voice acting), magazine editor's hyped it up as the best Castlevania game of all time. We can argue whether that was hyperbole or not, but there's one thing that everybody will agree on: The Dracula X game that we got in the West paled in comparison to Rondo of Blood.

It actually went beyond simply not being as good as the Japanese game it's name after, because the EGM editors argued that it's actually a really disappointing action game. Al asks: "This is supposed to be related to the Castlevania games? Good thing they didn't officially include the old name in the title. Something simply did not click." Dano liked it a bit more, but agreed that it's not up to the Castlevania standard. "While Dracula X is still a fun game, as a translation it really falls short. The graphics seem to have lost their color leaving the backgrounds looking drab and boring. There are a few things that save this game from being all bad though, like now you can jump on and off stairs, and new weapons that you get don't force you to lose the on you had." With all four critics thoroughly disappointed, Dracula X on the Super NES averages a so-so score of 6.75 out of 10.

Castlevania Chronicles (PS1)

#17

If there's one problem with this list, it's that EGM didn't start reviewing Castlevania games early enough. The oldest game on this list is from 1989, which is years after the release of the original Castlevania and its sequel, Simon's Quest. About the closest they got to reviewing the first game in the series is Castlevania Chronicles, a remake that is also the 17th game on our list. If it looks dated, even by PlayStation standards, that's because it is. Before coming to Sony's 32-bitter in 2001, this version was first released on the Sharp X68000 back in 1993. To say that technology and tastes had changed as lot in those eight years would be a gross understatement.

The EGM editors thought it was ... fine. After being wowed by Symphony of the Night only four years earlier, most agreed that this felt like a massive step backwards. Greg sums it up perfectly: "While I'd much rather have a completely new Castlevania adventure on the PS, this'll do." Mark also liked it, but almost in a begrudging way. "Younger gamers who only know Symphony of the Night will likely turn up their noses. But as another edition in one of my favorite series of all time, I couldn't help but love it." The editors liked the cool extras and old school gameplay, but not enough to give Castlevania Chronicles an average score higher than 7.2 out of 10.

Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (N64)

#16

And here we are, the first 3D Castlevania game on our list. For many fans of the franchise, the 2D/3D divide is the size of the Grand Canyon. Some of the old school fans may like the 3D games and even appreciate what Konami was going for, but most agree that they are not at the same level as the 2D titles. That is especially true about the earliest 3D games, including the next game on our list -- Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness on the Nintendo 64.

Released not even a year after Konami's first stab at 3D vampire hunting, the editors weren't impressed by the fast turnaround. Crispin states the obvious: "If you played N64 Castlevania six months ago, you'll suffer heavy-duty deja vu from this pseudo sequel. Most of it is only slightly improved and different. You get a cool new character, but you'll encounter many of the same clever platform-based puzzles, the same bosses and the same washed out-graphics." Chris, on the other hand, came into this review not having played the original N64 game, so he concluded that "this is exactly how a 3D Castlevania game should play. The control and camera can be a little jerky, but it's got the same feel as the classic Castlevania games." But even with that praise, Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness only managed to earn an average of 7.25 out of 10.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PS2/Xbox)

#15

Similar to the last game we talked about, here's another sequel to a 3D Castlevania game. When Lament of Innocence was first released in 2003, many saw the potential and liked that Konami was going back to that well after the mixed reaction to the Nintendo 64 releases. Two years later, and the critics are not nearly as impressed with Curse of Darkness, the latest attempt to turn Castlevania into a 3D masterpiece. Sadly, like the previous attempts, this one falls short of greatness.

Christian makes a fairly obvious point: "The weight of expectations is painful. Eight years on from Symphony of the Night, it's still the game all Castlevanias are judged against. That's unrealistic. It's also unfair -- bringing the enterprise into 3D wreaks havoc with the formula. Still, the team at Konami is trying its best to replicate that game, and it's getting closer." Shane was also disappointed. He liked that it bounces forward to the 15th century and positions itself as a direct sequel to Dracula's Curse, but notes that the visuals are inconsistent and was frustrated by the map. "And about those level designs -- Curse's sprawling trek across Dracula's home turf doesn't quite feel like the intricately interconnected maps from the 2D games, but it's getting there. Even though you're not cooped up in a castle, most areas still feel too straightforward." Once again, Curse of Darkness was a game that EGM liked but didn't love, which is why it ended up averaging a so-so 7.5 out of 10.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2)

#14

As you can tell from the games we've covered so far, Electronic Gaming Monthly was definitely open to the idea of a 3D Castlevania game. They may have preferred the 2D stuff, like Symphony of the Night and Dracula's Curse, but they were willing to give the polygonal attempts a chance. This was certainly the case in 2003, when Konami decided to whip-up a new 3D installment called Lament of Innocence, which definitely showed potential.

The critics were intrigued, but not totally sold on this this new approach. Shoe explained that he was a big fan of the Game Boy Advance titles and even enjoyed the polarizing Nintendo 64 titles, but Lament confounded him. "I was terribly bored the first couple of hours. Then I grew to like it more and more. But it never felt like a good Castlevania game -- just a good action game." Shane agreed, but had a more specific problem -- the story isn't nearly compelling enough. "It's paced badly, with big chunks doled out near the game's end, and the conclusion simply isn't very satisfying. Also, the game feels short. The game's biggest problem, though, is annoyingly repetitive level design. The five substages accessible from the main hub are just too similar." Even with these complaints, Shane's higher score raises the average to 7.7 out of 10, narrowly placing it above the follow-up, Curse of Darkness.

Castlevania: The Adventure (GB)

#13

For a franchise that would eventually be defined by their high-quality handheld games, Castlevania had a rocky start on the Game Boy. When it was first released back in 1989, The Adventure was one of the very first games released on Nintendo's handheld, and it was painfully clear that the EGM editors were still not sold on the little unit. A lot of the reviews focused on what Castlevania meant to the Game Boy, especially when it came to molding perceptions of what the system could do. Just look at how Ed started his review: "A couple hours with this game will convince you that the Game Boy is not a toy, but a real game system."

Don't let the thirteenth place finish fool you, because the critics genuinely liked Castlevania: The Adventure. Some complained about the slowness and inferior presentation, but they all thought this was one of the better Game Boy titles. Even Jim, the only critic to give the game a 7, only had positive things to say about the game: "Castlevania has the right amount of all the ingredients needed to make a successful game. One of the few Game Boy titles seen so far that overcomes the lack of color to produce a very fun piece of software." Even if they weren't fully sold on the hardware, EGM was still impressed by this black and white Castlevania. With an average score of 7.75 out of 10, The Adventure was more than just another great entry in the franchise, it was also the first Castlevania game reviewed by the magazine and the oldest game we're going to talk about in this series.

Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (GB)

#12

Released two years after Castlevania: The Adventure, it should surprise nobody that Belmont's Revenge is a much better Game Boy game. It's clear that the developer learned a few tricks when it comes to working with the limited handheld hardware, and it certainly shows in this well-received classic. It also helps that by 1991, EGM had largely gotten over their skepticism of the Game Boy. Sure, they still had their doubts about its longevity, but at least they were no longer trying to figure out if it was a toy or real game system.

While none of this is especially shocking, what may surprise you is how well Castlevania II holds up when compared to the onslaught of 16-bit games that were hitting the U.S. at the exact same time Belmont was getting his revenge. Steve was high on the game, saying that "this is about as good as an action game can get on the Game Boy." He noted that it shares a lot in common with The Adventure, but "that doesn't diminish the payoff of a game with rich backgrounds, detailed characters and fast-paced play techniques." Sushi-X called the game "marvelous, but short. All Castlevania fans will love it. I did." With everybody on the same page, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge averaged an impressive 8 out of 10, landing it at the number twelve spot on our countdown.

Castlevania Bloodlines (Genesis)

#11

After staying exclusive to Nintendo for most of the 8-bit era, Konami made international news when they teamed up with Sega to bring some of their biggest games and franchises to the Genesis. This started with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sunset Riders, but quickly moved on to Contra and the final game we're going to talk about in this episode -- Castlevania: Bloodlines. This Genesis exclusive introduced us to new characters, new moves and even a new time period, which was too much for poor old Ed. He started his review noting that "Bloodlines is a great game in itself, but it seems too far detatched from the Castlevania theme." I like that he gave the game a 9, but am frustrated that he didn't expand on this point.

Danyon may have given Bloodlines a lower score, but you wouldn't know it based on the text. "Well, it looks like the Genesis got the game it always wanted. Was it as good as expected? Oh yes! This game dishes up all the best of the Castlevania series and services it on one great platter." He loved the bosses and blood, calling it "one to watch for." The rest of the editors agreed with Danyon, with others calling it "awesome" and a "must-have for Genesis owners." With a fantastic score of 8.25 out of 10, this average was this close to earning Castlevania: Bloodlines a spot in the top 10. For this list, it will just have to settle being the eleventh best-reviewed Castlevania game and the final title we're going to talk about in this episode. See you tomorrow for the reveal of the EGM's top 10 Castlevania games.