Guide The Best Castlevania Games Of All Time

35. Haunted Castle (Arcade)

Released in arcades when the Castlevania series was still in its infancy, Haunted Castle is notorious for being one of the worst games in the franchise. It starts off well enough; the sprites are nice and large (a fact that makes it hard to avoid danger) and there are some amazing tunes here. However, the brutal difficulty level is clearly designed to suck in coins, and the controls feel stiff and awkward. Haunted Castle was never ported at the time of release, but would eventually get a PS2 release in Japan some years later. It was included on the Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection in 2019, and got a stand-alone release as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives range shortly afterwards. Outside of saying you've played it, there's little reason to seek this one out.

Thankfully, in 2024, M2 and Konami remastered the game with Haunted Castle Revisited, which is part of the Castlevania Dominus Collection. That version is worth playing.

34. Castlevania: The Adventure (GB)

When Nintendo released the Game Boy in 1989, it took a while for developers to really get to grips with the limitations of the system's monochrome screen. Titles like Super Mario Land kept sprites small and backgrounds plain to avoid issues with blur, while Konami opted to slow things down for one of its first Game Boy outings, Castlevania: The Adventure. Despite Masato Maegawa's involvement (he would go on to co-found Treasure not long afterwards), Castlevania: The Adventure has to rank as one of the worst entries in the series. The gameplay is sluggish, the level design uninspired and the controls painful. Only a decent soundtrack saves this one from the scrapheap. Japanese developer M2 would later remake the game as Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, but it shares few similarities with the Game Boy original, beyond its title and lead character, Christopher Belmont.

33. Castlevania Judgment (Wii)

This ill-advised Wii spin-off from 2008 brought all your favourite characters and monsters together for a momentously rubbish one-on-one 3D fighter with awful controls and questionable character designs. Konami enlisted the assistance of Bloody Roar studio Eighting, but the end result was a truly disastrous attempt to broaden the appeal of the franchise. Castlevania Judgment's full-3D control method means it feels more like Power Stone than Virtua Fighter, and it's often hard to keep track of what's going on. The motion controls feel tacked on, too, while the fighting action lacks impact and excitement. To cap it all off, the character designs by Takeshi Obata (Death Note) are totally at odds with the traditional look of the series.

Castlevania Judgment was panned by critics and fans alike on release and time has done nothing to heal the wounds this one inflicted. A miserable pile, indeed.

32. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (Xbox 360)

The commercial success of the original Lords of Shadow gave Konami the belief that this sub-series could become a popular franchise in its own right, and the company quickly commissioned MercurySteam to work on a sequel (as well as a side-story in the form of Mirror of Fate for the Nintendo 3DS). The twist here is that the original game's hero, Gabriel Belmont, has become Dracula himself (something that was only revealed in Lord of Shadow's DLC expansion), and the storyline switches between the distant past and present-day. There are some very cool ideas in play here – unlocking Dracula's arsenal of powers is fascinating – but the execution is shoddy, and some of the stealth sections are utterly laughable. Lords of Shadow 2 reviewed poorly upon its release and failed to recapture the commercial success of its predecessor, essentially putting an end to the sub-series and placing the Castlevania franchise in stasis.

31. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (NES)

While Vampire Killer on the MSX2 was a bold stab at turning Castlevania into an RPG-like experience that ultimately failed, Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest is far more successful, even if it doesn't quite stick the landing. The level-by-level structure of the original game is gone, with the player capable of exploring a non-linear 2D landscape at will. There are townspeople to converse with (most of whom spout nonsense), items to collect and even a day-and-night cycle to contend with. The big issues are that the game is ridiculously obtuse, with some form of walkthrough guide being a must, and there are large portions of the game which simply aren't enjoyable. Simon's Quest is saved by its amazing music and totally unique premise; it's amazing that Konami was so keen to experiment with the series at such an early juncture, and while it would revert to a more 'traditional' approach for subsequent entries, Simon's Quest was clearly an influence when it came to creating 1997's Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

30. Castlevania Legends (GB)

Released in the wake of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's astonishing critical success, Castlevania Legends introduces the first mainline female hero, Sonia Belmont, who was technically, chronologically the first-ever Belmont to fight Dracula. At least she was until Koji Igarashi became the producer of the series and the game's story became non-canon.

Following the amazing Belmont's Revenge was no easy task, but Legends is an inferior outing in almost every regard, bar the fact that it came with battery backup so you could save your progress. The visuals, controls, and music are all worse than they are in Belmont's Revenge, but that hasn't stopped Legends from becoming one of the most desirable and expensive Game Boy games. It's worth a brief look, but don't pay silly money for it, especially when it's available via Nintendo Switch Online.

29. Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES)

Although it's described by many as a 'port' of the PC Engine Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, Castlevania: Dracula X (Castlevania: Vampire's Kiss in Europe) is more of a complete re-imagining. Some elements are similar – the opening stage, for example – but, for the most part, this SNES title radically changes things, and not always for the better. The branching levels are gone, as is the ability to play as Maria (and save the other female hostages). Some of the redesigned levels simply don't work, making them an exercise in frustration. On the bright side, it's visually quite appealing – especially when you consider that Konami didn't have the vast storage space that a CD affords here – and the music is wonderful. The Castlevania name means that second-hand copies of this are expensive in all of its region variants, but it was thankfully included on the Castlevania Advance Collection, so you don't have to spend a fortune to check it out.

28. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate (3DS)

Nestled in-between the events of the original Lords of Shadow and its disappointing sequel, Mirror of Fate returns to the Metroidvania roots of the GBA and DS entries. Assuming the roles of three heroes, you must battle your way through Dracula's fortress in a trio of timelines. The heavy focus on combat is carried over from the mainline Lords of Shadow games, and many reviewers took issue with the way in which this slowed down the gameplay. However, the visuals remain incredible and the production values are stunning. While it's arguably not as polished as the likes of Dawn of Sorrow or Portrait of Ruin, Mirror of Fate is still worth a look – and it's worth noting that developer MercurySteam has since gone on to find great success in this genre with Metroid: Samus Returns (also on the 3DS) and Metroid Dread on the Switch.

27. Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (N64)

Outside of the addition of Cornell, this really isn't a full sequel to Castlevania 64, but more of an enhanced version. Much of the game remains unchanged, which means that most people should pick this over the original if they're interested in either title, as Legacy of Darkness really does make its predecessor redundant. While having another storyline to play through is welcome, Legacy of Darkness doesn't do a great deal to correct what was wrong with Castlevania 64, and the attempts it does make at providing something superior – such as support for the N64's RAM upgrade for higher resolution – are undone; the game's frame rate tanks when the RAM pak is installed, making it hard to play. Time has not been kind to either of the N64 Castlevania entries, but it's unfair to write them off entirely.

26. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (PS3)

Upon first inspection, one might assume that this title marks a return to Castlevania's glorious 2D roots, but Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is actually a multiplayer-focused action title that encourages you to seek loot as you explore each of the six available stages. While the ability to play with friends is fun, it never really gets close to capturing that classic Castlevania 'feel', and ends up being more of an experiment with Monster Hunter-style team-based mechanics. If you own an Xbox One of Series X/S, then you can play Castlevania: Harmony of Despair via the wonders of backwards compatibility – but we wouldn't suggest for a second you should go out of your way in order to do so.

25. Vampire Killer (MSX)

Released on the MSX2 home computer system around the same time that Castlevania hit the Famicom Disk System in Japan, Vampire Killer – to give the game its European title – is a rather unusual attempt to expand the original game in new and interesting ways, and proves that right from the beginning, Konami was clearly aware that Castlevania was a franchise which could easily evolve beyond its action-platforming origins. The problem is that this attempt to create a sort of action-RPG hybrid is badly undone by its non-linear structure (which involves searching looping levels in order to find keys) and the MSX2's infamous inability to handle smooth scrolling – screens 'flip' from one to the other when you reach the edge of a room. It's an interesting historical footnote, but beyond that, Vampire Killer isn't worth the eye-watering price the original version now changes hands for.

24. Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2)

It's fair to say that the two N64 Castlevania titles were fairly awkward attempts to reimagine the series in 3D, but that didn't put Konami off. With Koji Igarashi and his Konami Tokyo team at the helm – and Ayami Kojima on board for character design work – Castlevania: Lament of Innocence was subject to considerable hype prior to release; could this finally be the game that took the Metroidvania template and bring it into the third dimension?

Sadly, it wasn't the case – but it's not like the game is a complete write-off. Leon Belmont, the hero, controls especially well here, with Igarashi clearly taking a leaf out of Devil May Cry's book when it comes to combat. Michiru Yamane's music is also excellent, and the game generally nails the Castlevania vibe pretty effectively. The glaring issue is that the castle you explore isn't some massive, interconnected location, but rather individual stages – and they're all quite boring to explore.

The RPG elements introduced in Symphony of the Night have also been scaled back dramatically, giving you little reason to investigate the nooks and crannies of the fortress; instead, the game has to fall back on the aforementioned combat, which, while well-designed, isn't enough to carry the entire game. Like the N64 titles, Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is still worth a play, but it's sadly nowhere near the classic it could have been.

23. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PS2)

Perhaps stung by the lukewarm reception afforded to Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, Koji Igarashi redoubled his efforts with another 3D action-adventure, this time set soon after the events of Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse – a game Igarashi has a particular fondness for. You're not controlling a Belmont this time (although Trevor Belmont does become playable in the game); instead, you assume the role of Hector, a former ally of Dracula who just so happens to look a bit like Alucard (Ayami Kojima sure does like to draw men with long white hair).

The combat has been improved over Lament of Innocent, and the RPG elements which were missing from that game have returned, but Igarashi and his team still didn't give the player a fun world to explore. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness' levels are mostly barren and uninteresting, making them a real chore to navigate – especially when you consider that Hector doesn't move as quickly as you'd like. While the game introduces many characters who have since become famous thanks to Netflix Castlevania series – including Hector's foe Issac and the mysterious Saint-Germain – Castlevania: Curse of Darkness is yet another title in the series which can't quite match the glory of its 8, 16-bit and 32-bit predecessors, despite running on superior hardware.

As a side note, the game was also released on the Xbox, but it's sadly not backwards-compatible so you can't play it on your Xbox 360, Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S.

22. Haunted Castle Revisited (Switch eShop)

Released as part of the Castlevania Dominus Collection, Konami and developer M2 have achieved the impossible with Haunted Castle Revisited: they’ve taken a reviled entry in the franchise and made it good. Better than good, in fact - it’s great! The visuals have been completely overhauled with some stunning lighting effects that remind us of some of the very best HD-2D games on modern systems. More than that, however, the gameplay and difficulty have been rebalanced so that you’re not pulling your hair out after mere seconds into the opening stage. It plays like an NES or SNES Castlevania game, and although it probably won’t compete against some of the very best ‘classic’ entries in the series, it feels wonderful to hold our heads up high and say “yes, Haunted Castle is good” - finally.

21. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (PS3)

By the time that Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia arrived on the Nintendo DS, it was clear that the series needed refreshing; while the quality of the Metroidvania titles was never in doubt, the commercial fortunes of the franchise had arguably never been lower; keen to reinvigorate Castlevania, Konami rebooted the lineage with Lords of Shadow, a game which was reportedly developed initially as a new IP before being turned into a Castlevania.

Spanish studio MercurySteam worked with producer David Cox and the legendary Hideo Kojima on what would ultimately become a 3D action title, not entirely dissimilar to Sony's God of War franchise. While the core components are in place – the Belmonts feature, as you might expect – Lords of Shadow is considered to exist within its own universe, rather than tie in directly with the main Castlevania timeline. While some hardcore fans reject the Lords of Shadow sub-series out of hand, there's no denying that it did what Konami intended; the game sold fantastically well and spawned two direct sequels.

20. Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare)

Part of Konami's 'ReBirth' series – which also includes Contra and Gradius – this M2-coded offering has very little to do with the Game Boy original, outside of the fact that it showcases Christopher Belmont in the lead role. A return to the hand-drawn 2D visuals of the classic entries in the series, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth plays like a dream – although it can be somewhat brutal at points and, with only six stages, doesn't offer the same amount of content as, say, Bloodlines or Dracula X. It's also no longer available for purchase as Nintendo has long since closed the Wii eShop; fingers are firmly crossed that Konami sees sense and republishes all of the ReBirth titles on modern-day systems.

19. Castlevania (NES)

The original and the best? Perhaps not, but Castlevania put down an enduring template that mixed Universal monster movie shlock with brilliant tunes and tight, satisfying whip-based combat. Very much like Super Mario Bros., the original Castlevania is a game that laid down the foundations of an entire series. Sure, subsequent titles have refined and evolved the core concept, but Castlevania – just like Mario's first 'Super' adventure – remains playable and enjoyable, even today. It's certainly not perfect – the difficulty is maddening at times and the controls feel incredibly stiff by modern standards – but the challenging gameplay, foreboding atmosphere and amazing soundtrack all pull together to create a true classic which has aged surprisingly well.

18. Castlevania Chronicles (PS1)

Originally released on the Japan-only Sharp X68000 home computer in 1993 as Akumajō Dracula, Castlevania Chronicles was later remade on the PlayStation following the critical success of Symphony of the Night. The original X68000 is included, but the main draw is the updated version of the game, complete with new artwork by Ayami Kojima and an arranged soundtrack by Sōta Fujimori. Castlevania Chronicles caught some criticism at the time of release as many 'new' fans of the series were expecting a bolder Metroidvania-style adventure; however, those who adore the old-school outings will find a lot to love here.

17. Castlevania Anniversary Collection (Switch eShop)

Despite the sheer volume of solid gold hits in the series, Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a somewhat mixed bag from Konami in terms of games you'll actually play, as stone-cold classics share the spotlight with a couple of undead clunkers that should remain dead and buried. Still, from a completionist and preservation standpoint, the inclusion of Castlevania: The Adventure is appreciated and the 'highs' on offer are among the highest points in the entire franchise, with a Western debut for Kid Dracula being a particularly lovely treat for retro gamers looking for something new. As long as you’re willing to ignore the lesser titles in this package and you're not too bummed out by the omission of other classic entries, you’re going to have a very good time with what’s left. Best paired with Castlevania Advance Collection.

16. Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (GB)

After the crushing disappointment that was Castlevania: The Adventure, Konami pulled out all of the stops with this Game Boy sequel. It plays like a dream, with highly responsive controls and some brilliantly designed levels which use vertical space just as effectively as horizontal space. The ability to choose how you tackle the stages, Mega Man-style, is also welcome, and the music is so good it's almost criminal that it's relegated to the relatively humble Game Boy audio hardware. Arguably one of the best Game Boy games of all time, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge is an essential play for all fans of the franchise – it's also worth a fair bit on the secondary market these days.

15. Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)

Just like it did with the original Game Boy, Konami was an early supporter of the Game Boy Advance, supplying Konami Krazy Racers and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon for the system's launch. The latter gained the most interest back in 2001, largely because it was the first Castlevania to emulate the 'Metroidvania' approach that Symphony of the Night had popularized in 1997, although it's worth noting that the development team was different, with Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe in charge instead of Konami's Toyko studio.

Despite some dark visuals (which were frustratingly hard to see on the unilluminated display of the original Game Boy Advance) and some simplified mechanics, Circle of the Moon is a decent attempt at taking the Metroidvania concept into the portable realm; while it pales in comparison to Symphony of the Night and some of its later Metroidvania successors, it's still an entertaining romp, and can be played on modern systems as part of the Castlevania Advance Collection.

14. Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (GBA)

Following the non-canon exploits of Circle of the Moon, series producer Koji Igarashi took control of the next Game Boy Advance entry, bringing on-board Symphony of the Night artist Ayami Kojima to handle the character design. As if this reunion wasn't enough, protagonist Juste Belmont looks a lot like Alucard, which got a lot of people excited that this would be the true successor to Symphony of the Night.

Unfortunately, in a lot of ways, Harmony of Dissonance is a step backwards from Circle of the Moon. The sprites are larger, sure, but the garish visuals are quite jarring – an attempt by Konami to avoid the criticisms levelled at Circle of the Moon regarding its dark graphics. Dracula's castle is also quite dull to explore, and the game feels empty and uninteresting as a result. It's still enjoyable if you're a fan of the Metroidvania entries, but it's perhaps the weakest of the lot.

13. Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (NES)

After the deviation that was Simon's Quest, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse returns to the level-by-level approach seen in the 1986 original, but evolves the concept in every conceivable way. There are now four characters to control – Simon Belmont's ancestor Trever, female magic-user Sypha Belnades, pirate Grant Danasty and Alucard, the half-vampire, half-human son of Dracula himself. Trevor can switch to one of these companions during a level and benefit from their unique powers.

This adds to the gameplay considerably, as does the fact that your path through the game branches in places, offering plenty of replay value. Add in some of the best visuals and music ever seen in a NES game, and it's easy to see why so many Castlevania fans consider Dracula's Curse to be the pinnacle of the series, at least in terms of the more 'traditional' entries before Symphony of the Night shook things up in 1997.

12. Castlevania: Bloodlines (MD)

Available on Switch as part of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, as well as with the NSO Expansion Pack, Castlevania: Bloodlines — or Castlevania: The New Generation as it was known in Europe — has the distinction of being the only series entry to grace SEGA's 16-bit console.

While Dracula X would show the world what Konami could achieve in the realm of CD-ROM, Bloodlines – which was released around the same time – would prove that the company's staff could make Sega's 16-bit hardware sing. Konami pledged its support to the Mega Drive / Genesis around this time after years of being committed to Nintendo, and while this instalment feels slightly different from what went before, it's still an utterly fantastic take on the series. Set around the period of World War I, it attempts to link up the Castlevania narrative with the events of Bram Stoker's Dracula novel.

However, it's the globe-trotting nature of the game – levels take place across Europe, including Greece, France and finally England – which makes it stand out. Michiru Yamane – whose compositions have become synonymous with the series – began her association with Castlevania here, and despite the comparative weakness of the Mega Drive sound hardware compared to that of the SNES, she delivers some of the best tunes in the franchise.

11. Castlevania Advance Collection (Switch eShop)

It’s mostly the sublime Aria of Sorrow that’s doing the heavy lifting with Castlevania Advance Collection; it really is one of the best entries in the entire Castlevania series. Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance are alright but on a lower tier, while Dracula X is middling even on its own standards. These are still very much worth playing, though, and this collection makes for an essential purchase for both longtime Castlevania fans and newbies.

10. Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is a 2.5D remake of the legendary 1993 PC Engine title Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, which, for a long time, was totally exclusive to Japan. The core game is retooled drastically, with the anime art style of the original being replaced by Ayami Kojima's more mature designs. While the new visuals arguably haven't aged as well as the 2D graphics of the PC Engine version, it's still well worth a play – and even if you don't fancy the remake, the fact that Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night are included as unlockable extras makes this an essential purchase for Castlevania fans, and followers of the action-adventure genre in general.

9. Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)

Following the footsteps of Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin positions itself as a sequel to the Mega Drive title Castlevania: Bloodlines, and is set in the aftermath of the First World War. It's a 'Metroidvania' again, but this time, the game is sub-divided into various worlds which are accessed by jumping into various pictures. Because the developers aren't limited themselves to the traditional castle, it means they can be inventive with level designs – one stage takes place in Egypt, for example.

Another neat touch is the fact that you're controlling not one character, but two; Jonathan Morris is your typical whip-wielding Belmont–alike, while Charlotte uses magical attacks. You can toggle between them at will, and there are some puzzles that require the use of both characters. There's definitely the feeling that Portrait of Ruin contains a lot of needless padding-out, but like all three of the DS Metroidvania efforts, it's still worthy of your attention.

8. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (TG-16)

The first Castlevania game to leverage the storage power of CD-ROM, Dracula X: Rondo of Blood sort of picks up where Castlevania III left off. The branching pathways are back, as is the ability to play as someone other than a Belmont. However, what makes Dracula X so appealing is the way it uses the power of the CD to offer a staggering level of presentation. Animated cutscenes abound, and each stage feels fresh and different.

The soundtrack, too, benefits immensely from the fact that it's no longer constrained by the limitations of cartridge media. While the bright, anime-style character designs aren't quite as moody and atmospheric as they should be, Dracula X's position as one of the greatest games in the series is secure thanks to its impeccably-designed levels, fantastic visuals and gorgeous music. The game was later remastered for PSP in the form of Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, but the 2.5D visuals have aged much worse than the 2D ones of the original game. Thankfully, The Dracula X Chronicles includes both the PC Engine version of the game and Symphony of the Night as unlockables.

7. Super Castlevania IV (SNES)

In Europe, Super Castlevania IV actually released before Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which gives you some indication of why so many fans directly compare them, despite the power difference between the NES and SNES. On many levels, Super Castlevania IV – which is essentially a retelling of the original game – scales things back. There are no branching pathways and Simon Belmont is the only character you get to control.

However, in practically every other respect, Super Castlevania IV is the better of the two games. The visuals and music are taken to an entirely new level thanks to the power of the console, with the soundtrack, in particular, being one of the best you'll hear on any cartridge-based system. The gameplay – which makes good use of the SNES' Mode 7 capabilities – is also tight and engaging, even if it's perhaps a little less challenging than the NES entries. A true classic.

6. Dead Cells: Return To Castlevania (Switch eShop)

Is this really a Castlevania game? Fans might argue that point either way, but, after being starved of 2D vampire-hunting action for so long, we'll happily consider it part of the lineage. Dead Cells: Return To Castlevania feels like it’s primarily made for Dead Cells fans who also happen to like Castlevania — it's unlikely to convert Castlevania aficionados who don’t get on with Motion Twin's roguelite. At any rate, we loved it, and it's great to see Castlevania back in video games again.

5. Castlevania Requiem (PS4)

With two brilliant retro games in one bundle, the gameplay in Castlevania Requiem is excellent. As a starting point to the 1792 Dracula X story-line, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is a fantastic 1993 example of the traditional NES Castlevania's arcade, platforming template, which shouldn't be missed. However, Castlevania Requiem disappoints with a lack of extras like developer interviews, or an art museum.

It's contentious that Castlevania Requiem is based on the Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles' version of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, because it alters the original PSone's voice acting and script, although pleasingly the PSP version enables you to unlock a playable version of Maria Renard. The PS4 Trophy list deserves special mention for giving extra incentive to explore both games more thoroughly. The simplest way to recommend Castlevania Requiem is by acknowledging that it includes one of PSone's best ever games, in 1997's frightfully superb Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

4. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)

Given the amazing critical response to Aria of Sorrow on the GBA, it made sense for Konami to create a sequel for Nintendo's new handheld, the DS. Dawn of Sorrow feels very much like Aria but on steroids; the visuals are massively improved and are much closer to those seen in Symphony of the Night, while Masahiko Kimura (Castlevania 64)'s soundtrack is also much more refined (even if it's not quite up there with the best of the franchise).

The 'Soul' system from Aria makes a return and the game is impressively proportioned, but the technical gimmicks – such as having to draw seals on the touch screen to kill bosses and the WiFi system (which is now unavailable as Nintendo has taken the DS' wireless portal offline) – don't add much to the experience. It's also a shame that Ayami Kojima wasn't invited back to do the character artwork; instead, we get a very basic 'anime' cast of characters that lack charm. Despite its shortcomings – and the feeling that the whole 'Metroidvania' template is growing stale by this point – Dawn of Sorrow is still an excellent game.

3. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)

The Nintendo DS trilogy of Metroidvanias is rounded off by this offering, which features a female protagonist and a structure that calls to mind the likes of Simon's Quest. Ayami Kojima wasn't hired to do character designs but replacement Masaki Hirooka does a good job of mimicking the style, avoiding the anime-like art seen in the previous two DS adventures. Order of Ecclesia was something of a divisive release at the time; many hailed it as the best of the DS trio, while others bemoaned the fact that the format had become very stale by this point, and that Ecclesia was too reliant on quests and its map was too disjointed to be satisfying to explore.

Over time, it has become one of the most well-respected of the handheld Castlevanias and is worth a look – if you can pick it up for a reasonable price.

2. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)

Following Circle of the Moon and Harmony of Dissonance – both of which fell short of hitting the same highs of Symphony of the Night – Koji Igarashi and his team returned to the Game Boy Advance with Aria of Sorrow, a game which many fans consider to be the second best 'Metroidvania' in the franchise. The action takes place in 2035, but the setting is still resolutely gothic, with little in the way of modern or futuristic elements. Aria of Sorrow's 'Soul System' offers an incredible amount of replayability, and the sheer number of items, weapons and pieces of gear to collect is staggering – even more so when you consider this is a portable release.

While it never quite beats Symphony of the Night in terms of scale, it's a match in many other ways and is a must-play for all fans of the series, and Metroidvania genre. Aria of Sorrow is included on the Castlevania Advance Collection, which is good, because the Game Boy Advance original is prohibitively expensive these days.

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1)

Castlevania was at something of a crossroads in 1997. The advent of 32-bit consoles like the PlayStation and Saturn had introduced a new era of 3D visuals, and many of gaming's biggest franchises were shedding their 2D origins and embracing the world of three dimensions. When Konami revealed that its first 32-bit Castlevania title would still be 2D in nature, there was some degree of apathy in certain parts of the gaming world – but Symphony of the Night proved such doubters wrong. It's unquestionably one of the best video games of all time, skillfully mixing traditional Castlevania gameplay with the exploration and gear-gating of Super Metroid (hence the term 'Metroidvania') whilst adding in hundreds of items to collect and an RPG-style levelling system.

The scope of Symphony of the Night is truly staggering, even by modern standards; fully uncovering every inch of Dracula's castle is an undertaking that will consume weeks of your life. The presentation is arguably Konami's 2D zenith; superbly-animated sprites and beautiful backdrops abound, while the music also represents some of the finest audio in the Castlevania canon. While programmer Koji Igarashi – who would later become series producer – iterated on the 'Metroidvania' concept with his GBA and DS outings, none of them really overtake Symphony of the Night in terms of brilliance. That's why we consider it to be the best Castlevania game of all time.

A Japan-exclusive Saturn port was released in 1998 which added in new levels and the ability to play as Maria, but it is also saddled with longer loading times and weaker visuals overall. Castlevania Requiem on the PS4 bundles the game with Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, and Symphony of the Night was also included on the earlier PSP collection, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. Finally, it's worth noting that we nearly got a port for Tiger's ill-fated Game.com handheld, which was cancelled before launch and recently rediscovered.