Anyone
that played the series’ dismal 3D offerings in recent years will tell you that the
classic Castlevania series has always been at its best when it takes place in
2D. In fact the most successful recent installments in the series have been the Game Boy Advance
titles like Aria of Sorrow and Circle of the Moon plus Symphony of the Night on the
original Playstation. The more recent DS installments have further cemented this
theory amongst gamers, especially now with the excellent releases Curse of
Darkness and Portrait of Ruin. The brilliant gameplay and masterful artwork featured in these two games have
proven this perception to be correct. Given the success of those two titles, it’s
no surprise that Konami has decided to release a port of the Japanese title
Akumajo Dracula for the Playstation domestically as Castlevania Chronicles, a
bargain title that’s actually worth the money you pay for it. The cool thing
about Castlevania Chronicles is that this game has never been released stateside
in any form, appearing only on an obscure Japanese computer console, so this is
doubly good news for both gamers and collectors. Its conversion makes sense at
this point in the PS1’s lifecycles and true hard-core fans should be delighted
by this title’s appearance, especially with all the classic, timeless gameplay
it offers.
However, it most be noted that Castlevania Chronicles
isn’t a straight port as Konami has placed a few extras to add value to the
package and has even included some really exciting enhancements in the original.
These include an art-gallery which is quite impressive and an interesting
interview with the designer of the legendary Symphony of the Night and the upgrades in this package. The title’s
strongest element is the new arrange mode, which includes slightly better
graphics that are more in keeping with the most recent installments. The most
notable change comes about with redrawn sprites for the main character and
Dracula himself. There are also some enhanced lighting effects and a much
improved music score which is quite elaborate. You can also select which type of
music you want to use, just in case you find the original 8-bit music more
authentic. The odd thing about this is that CC is actually easier in the arrange
mode as well which is annoying but still, the extra eye-candy is worth it to
some degree. The new graphics are impressive, though to be honest, the game
plays identically in each mode, and as such the changes are strictly cosmetic.
Which mode you prefer boils down to personal preference and depends on whether
you want to play this classic Castlevania adventure in its purest form or like
the new effects enough to play it again in that mode. Either way, this is a
fantastic title.
While the graphics have been enhanced, thankfully,
little else has. Those looking for an elaborate, deep platformer with
multiple-branching levels in the vein of recent Castlevania releases are going
to be disappointed by this title. The gameplay is relatively simple and seem a
tad short, with eight strictly linear areas divided into three stages each,
making this a relatively short adventure, by today’s standards. As usual, boss
enemies appear at the end of each stage which means that the game follows the
standard formula with no divergences. The usual cast of Castlevania enemies such
as the zombies, the demonic heads and of course Dracula himself make appearances
in this edition, and for the most part, the react and attack as they always
have. This gives it a real sense of familiarity and grounds CC firmly within the
Castlevania canon. You can definitely see the pedigree of the series in action
here as the classic, timeless gaming makes this a cool retro flashback for older
gamers. As you’d expect, the controls are tight and responsive, as expected
making for a surprisingly easy adventure. What’s more, the level designs and
layouts are also quite familiar which makes playing this akin to slipping on an
old, yet comfortable old shoe.
It’s not entirely predictable, but players should be
familiar with these levels. These are basically variations of the layouts and
boards seen in Castlevania’s original games. Some small surprises appear in
this edition, so don’t go on auto-pilot. Likewise, the special attacks and
power-ups should be familiar as well. Classic CV items such as the holy water,
time pieces and boomerangs making return appearances, as does the eternal
vampire hunter’s friend, the whip. You can upgrade the whip and collects
hearts to use the special attacks. While it’s a definite retro flashback, that
doesn’t mean the game is easy. It’s a good, solid title with none of the
bells and whistles of today’s games. The downside of this is that it feels
extremely dated even with the updgrades. This is only reinforced by Castlevania
Chronicles’ rather drab color schemes, predictable gameplay, primitive
animation and simple play mechanics. While the new upgrades make the game’s
look much better, they can’t entirely hide the game’s age. There’s little
in the way of extras offered, with only a time-attack mode offered as a bonus
when players complete the game. It’s basically a retro pack so you should know
what you’re getting into ahead of time. That said, classic game fans will love
the title, as should anyone else who’s played video games for the past 15
years. While CC doesn’t offer much in the way that is new, players who grew up
on the series will love playing this "lost adventure". This is
definitely one of the more interesting and enjoyable titles for the Playstation
and Castlevania collector. While it's extremely rare to find one of these at a
good price these days, the game is definitely worth seeking out.
- Michael Palisano
Grade: B+
