3. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
After the huge success that was Symphony of the Night, it would have been logical for Konami to build upon what clearly worked. Instead the developer put out bad 3D action games like Legacy of Darkness on the N64. Thankfully, in 2001 Konami came back to its senses and delivered players a gift in the form of Circle of the Moon. This Game Boy Advance exclusive, once again focused on non-linear gameplay, while also adding in new systems such as the Dual Set-up System, which allowed players to combine cards to create magical effects. Non-surprisingly, the game was a huge success both commercially and critically, and it showed that the series could still be relevant.
2. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
After Circle of the Moon, the Castlevania series continued to find success on Nintendo’s handheld. The best out of the three GBA titles was Aria of Sorrow, which took the series into the future instead of focusing on medieval times. Aria of Sorrow tells the story of Soma Cruz, who travels to Dracula’s castle in order to stop the vampire’s reincarnation. It’s a true triumph of design, and its addition of the Tactical Soul System, which allowed players to gain new abilities by absorbing the souls of their enemies, won over gamers.
1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Symphony of the Night was the forward step that the Castlevania series needed to stay relevant to modern gaming, and the classic PS1 title was so well-made that it’s still an amazing title to play in 2016. The game had an enhanced focus on exploration, and added even more RPG elements into the mix to make it more than just an action-platformer. Gamers now had a reason to battle enemies instead of avoiding them as they could gain experience points, and it made for a much more satisfying experience. It’s no surprise that the best Castlevania games since 1997 have largely followed in Symphony of the Night’s footsteps.
