Castlevania Collection

Sebastian Socorro
Editor-in-Chief

It should go without saying that the Nintendo Switch is the homeplace of retro platformers. The console harbors both classic series like Mario (on the Switch Online NES) and Megaman (through collections on the eShop) and countless modern titles that harken back to that era fondly like Panzer Paladin and Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. This last game specifically is greatly inspired by the series Castlevania, and while it succeeds in capturing the classic Castlevania gameplay in many ways, there’s nothing quite like the originals. Luckily, the home of platformers is also home to the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.

This collection cherrypicks the first three Castlevania games on the NES, Super Castlevania IV from the SNES, the often forgotten Castlevania Bloodlines which first appeared on the Sega Genesis, the two Castlevania games featured on the Gameboy, and Kid Dracula (for the first time in English!). If you’re a fan of even one of these classic Belmont/monster-whipping adventures, you’re almost guaranteed to enjoy them all.

For a price as ridiculously low as $20 for eight games, you can play any and all of these titles exactly as they were when they first released. No changes are made (apart from the inclusion of save states to alleviate the outdatedness of the typical NES lives system) and though it’s also available for PC on Steam, these games are greatly enhanced by being displayed on a TV screen (with aesthetically-pleasing backgrounds) or on the go with the Switch in handheld mode. They’re a blast to go through while on the bus or on a relaxing weekend, and the extra ebook it contains on the history of Castlevania is worth the price on its own.

Originally Published on www.bandersnatch.ca Vol.50 Issue 02 on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020