The History Of Castlevania

2018 is proof there's still a lot of love for the Castlevania series, so we explore its entire history, from the NES to the PS4, in our latest video.

[@macky99erz7]

What a horrible night to have a curse.

[@nathanielenochs1843]

The Castlevania Series Storyline is definitely a confusing Timeline

[@sampsonlll1825]

Isn't that a Black Dhalia Murder song title?

[@julioc.3158]

@@sampsonlll1825 that's actually a Castlevania quote.

[@sampsonlll1825]

@@julioc.3158 I'm very well aware, plainly displayed in the video. It was an open inquiry to reaffirm if it were used as a song title as well.

[@EduardoFelisberto93]

What a horrible curse to have a night

[@Jackdman25]

That Castlevania II music always hits hard. One of the best soundtracks in all of the games

[@dimetime35c]

Id love to see a castlevania game in the style of metroid dread. I think that 2.5D style fits a lot of these old side scrollers very well.

[@farhadkader]

I’m still hoping for a whole new game in the Castlevania series.

[@NocturneCesarito]

x2!!!

[@HausofHoneyy]

Me to! Seeing as how they brought back GetsuFumaDen and another title maybe we might see remasters of castlevania games or even a new game!

[@emmyjr1231]

something DMC esque would be lit

[@johnstarks5323]

I would prefer it to come out in current gen graphics in a side perspective like SFV.

[@lightsoulja]

At this point even another reboot game would suit me.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Just to add a few footnotes to your documentary: * Symphony the night started off with sluggish sales but became a Greatest Hits title, even earning PSM magazine 3rd greatest PS game of all time. *Richter being 'Lord of the Castle' in Sotn stained the Belmont Bloodline, meaning no Belmont could wield the Vampire Killer without harmful side effects-including their lives. This led to the story of the Belmonts tying in with the Morris clan, heroes found in Bram Stokers Dracula, as they and other Vampire hunters took over stopping Dracula til the Belmonts bloodline was restored again.

[@crystalalumina]

Trevor? You mean Richter?

[@KGBookkeeping]

The detail and research in this is extraordinary! This is one of the hardest video game franchises to follow on a historic basis

[@MM-fo9rv]

I didn’t know much more titles were published overseas…never heard some of them in Japan. Game designs are also changed and localised well. I’m glad to know Castlevania, Akumajo, is widely accepted in the world. Alucard is particularly popular because Symphony of the night is still known the most in Japan. Thank you for making this great and informative video.

[@philippfrogel9355]

woah the places and creatures and everything of this game are so inspiring, even when you are able to count the pixels

[@anthropocenestroermer5603]

a rare gem from gamespot - very well done video; extremely enjoyable

[@retoscholly5538]

This video is a masterpiece! I have not seen a better recollection of Castlevania games.

[@Criminal.Lawyer]

2:10 - being able to go left was really new and innovative. Simon’s Quest: “hold my beer”

[@Roy_Boy4.1]

My heart/s are with Castlevania Sotn. I remember watching a friend play it and I didn't even know it existed. At that moment I knew I had to have it. Still one of my favorites games to this day.

[@tc6103]

This is great! Just what I needed. Thanks!

[@rjmeeks4152]

I grew up on Castlevania IV, but forgot about it. After watching Netflix I've had a bit of a renaissance, so thanks for the knowledge I appreciate it!

[@jasonleveck8546]

At 44 years old I still have the best memories of Super Castlevania. What a fantastic sound track and perfect gothic style graphics. Favorite game of all time.

[@Simp4Gwyn]

51:27 This Guy: Castlevania: Lords of shadow 2 marks the first time you get to play as Drácula Soma Cruz : Am I a joke to you?

[@themythicalgriffin385]

Kid Dracula: Am I a joke to you?

[@cyrusiithegreat2824]

Nope, Soma Cruz is "Dracula Reborn" but not Dracula, he may be Dracula from his past life but when you control him, he isn't. Gabriel is Different, You control him while he is Dracula.

[@Simp4Gwyn]

@@cyrusiithegreat2824 eh, same difference imo

[@arnox4554]

SHHHHHHHH!! (Yeah, I know Aria is really old now, but in my arrogant opinion, it's the best game in the series and deserves to be played without spoilers.)

[@user-wq9im1hx1p]

This is amazing video, thamk you so much!!

[@TheBombayMasterTony]

4-7-22. It was really fun watching this. Great video.

[@brandonwells1175]

This was very interesting, thanks... I remember as a teenager having a subscription to PSN, wherein Lament of Innocence got the spotlight quite frequently.

[@BlueAmpharos]

I always knew that Bloodstained was a combination of Symphony of The Night (the subtitle Ritual of The Night was not at all subtle) and the "of Sorrow" games with shards instead of souls, but I never knew about Order of Eclisia and didn't realize just how much it borrows from that game, like the central village, the sidequest, female protagonist who uses magic with a friend who becomes evil, and some other story elements seem pretty similar.

[@jbghumanjr]

Castlevania: LORD OF SHADOWS---most underrated game series ever! Just binged them and WOA... gorgeous!

[@rjmq06]

This is tne first souls game 😂

[@Renjoku]

The anime is soo amazing bro it’s literally perfect the animations the story bro everything it makes u feel apart of the characters there u can literally feel like ur one of the protagonists fighting the evil literally underrated

[@Streetpharmasist420]

This was really, really good. I ended of watching this 4 times,...

[@TelisElaris]

Great video, thanks a lot!

[@BellJosh243]

The History of Games playlist doesn't seem to exist - I'd love to see the rest of this series!

[@rockylopez7846]

Neat, such a great history video, now here's my fav Castlevania titles: 10. Harmony of Dissonance 9. Castlevania 64 8. Dracula X 7. Circle of the Moon 6. Dracula's Curse 5. Symphony of the Night 4. Aria of Sorrow 3. Super Castlevania 4 2. Rondo of Blood 1. Bloodlines

[@monotonia3541]

Amazing video, keep it up

[@bbuildingfan01]

Nice timeline great work 👍

[@HollowaysIdea]

Masterful video.

[@javiero1711]

Awesome video!

[@kristoffersana960]

Simon’s Quest still haunts my dreams. Castlevania is one of the best franchises ever.

[@caitlinsalisbury9515]

Beautiful. I would love to see an update if you haven't done one already to include Lords of Shadow 1 & 2, along with their DLC's.

[@MaFeLikEmE]

Symphony of the night 🌙is the best and still waiting for part 2

[@darkNiGHTS0]

A+ effort on this video!

[@TheSeeking2know]

Very enjoyable!

[@ansahs]

Excellent job

[@TH-zl6jz]

I loved, LOVED playing Castlevania Harmony of Despair with my friends. The grind for gear and spell/sub exp was a little gross, even cheesing it was a chore, today you'd just see microtransactionactions boost your exp. But 2d small map Castlevania speed runs with 6 playable charachters? That's cool, that's fun. Extra levels and characters, easy sell on the DOC for fans

[@mrmonkeyman79]

How have I only just discovered this video? This is great. Only game you missed was the arcade version called Haunted Castle. It's not very good but since you included the Kid Dracula spin off I feel like it was worthy of mention.

[@pizzamess]

I never really played the games but loved the netflix show so seeing how many characters they pulled and how they used them is very interesting

[@johnfkennedyinanopentopcar8976]

As someone who likes Netflix Hector his game counter part is so much cooler

[@Miss._Jellyfish_]

Dracula X Chronicles is my favorite Castlevania game and always will be, I'll never forget trying to figure it out as a kid and dying relentlessly. Beating it with the true is a fond memory for me. Symphony of the night is close 2nd, and we all know why.

[@jakobfel2]

To this day, Simon's Quest is my favorite in the entire series. Granted, I've only played the classics and The Adventure on the Gameboy but yeah, it was just such a great game. It'd technically be my first open world game (though Sid Meier's Pirates! was my first foray into what most would consider open world gaming) and I loved the RPG elements, different aesthetics and the soundtrack. I could never get into any of the other games quite like I did with Simon's Quest, though I did give Bloodlines many, many attempts when I was younger. As for the criticisms, I've never been a fan of games that are really difficult so that part didn't bother me and as for the cryptic elements, I absolutely loved that. My mom used to play (and beat) this game and I remember trying to help her figure out one puzzle/objective when I was a kid.. my suggestion didn't work (I said "use some laurels") but still, as a fan of adventure games, that really sticks out to me.

[@danielvettore]

It was nice to watch

[@erstrizaldi7719]

Ecclesia was beautiful. Hope they release that somewhere along the line.

[@Zerolink30]

So many Castlevania games I've never played. I think i played 3, Symphony of the Night, Circle of the Moon and Portrait of Ruin. And like 10min of the original on NES.

[@Vman_95]

Definitely gonna play shadow trilogy, someday🔥

[@boligas]

nice vid bro

[@neftaliriverajr503]

Simons Quest was my first introduction to Castlevania and became a fan of the franchise ever since, I love all of them however "I know part 2 Simons Quest most people think its horrible" but to me it introduce me to the Castlevania games and it's one of my favorites and for some reason it makes me feel as if I'm playing a Vampire Killer to destroy Dracula's Curse in a Hammer Horror Film.

[@GokuSnake]

I'm 27. I've never played a Castlevania game, but I checked this vid out because the Netflix anime is so good. Also, as a writer, I am taken aback by how beautiful the Castlevania subtitles are.

[@boitahaki]

"because the Netflix anime is so good" Not sure if this is a joke or not

[@casuallavaring]

If they made a game set in 1999 about Julius Belmont, what would you call it?

[@Castx73702]

@@casuallavaring Millenium's Resurrection lol

[@desta9467]

@@boitahaki Because it is good, have you watched it?

[@bigt4135]

U should play the gba collection on switch. Awesome games.

[@fabionunes7081]

when i saw the lenght of the video i thougth "nah im not gonna watch the full thing but ill just watch until i get bored" lol little did i knew. great video, very in dept, very interesting

[@shavoidpatrick1602]

Hey I do the same thing I try not to watch a video longer than 15 minutes but sometimes it's worth it

[@Gr00mp]

I just played Symphony of the Night for the first time and it really is a masterpiece. I really wish we had something like that again. Beautiful pixel art and gameplay that still holds up today.

[@porci751]

everytime i hear "Bloody Tears" now, it reminds me of the most badass scene in any netflix original

[@ronniewhitedx]

Thank you I was wondering where Hector and Isaac came from in Castlevania 3 as it pertains to the anime....

[@prettyok9343]

Both Curse of Darkness and Castlevania 3 are set in within the generally same time period (at the time Hector was still Dracula's Devil Forgemaster however he is still very remorseful about it.)

[@lucass5852]

Man Konami had so many talented people as well as great IPs, kojima and koji which lots games and story telling of today are based one came from Konami, but look at how they are right now, what just happened, going from one of the beloved companies to the most hated one... this is sad..

[@AJ-ot9gz]

and how are they right now? Kojima left, but still have the Ips and bunch of talented people eager to create cool stuff, ignorant people think otherwise.

[@GoldStorm07]

@@AJ-ot9gz They still have the IPs but all their creators are gone. Hence their game output slowing to a crawl, Bomberman notwithstanding.

[@lucass5852]

@@AJ-ot9gz I'm sure they do have and I never meant to belittle them, what I'm trying to say is, what can these talented people do when the higher ups care only about how many more they can get on the next fiscal year, I mean look at what they done to MGS, Castlevania not only turning it into a pachinko theme but launching MG Survive where it charged for save slots... what use you have for so many talented ppl if all they do is that sort of thing?

[@AJ-ot9gz]

@@lucass5852 I know man, well I guess slowly but surely every game company out there has showed us that money is a big deal for keeping the company floating , And Konami took a big hit losing those creator, but still they will be working in games, maybe not strong story focused but more gameplay focused, and as for Pachinko, well here in Japan that thing sells like crazy!, so is actually a good move, Konami does many many things besides AAA games, they even sell water bottles !

[@AJ-ot9gz]

@@GoldStorm07 I think they will need time to regroup after they lost so many people, I would even like to see them creating new Ips and trying things, I mean they have the structure of a big company and they can use the resources to try interesting things.

[@kiikat_]

Aria of Sorrow, Order of Ecclesia, and Symphony of the Night are my Top 3!

[@0mar3li1]

Oh it's rare to see similar picks in this series

[@Elrinth]

Couldn't agree more :D

[@ZaPaMi3]

I mean all the GBA and DS games are masterpieces, and of course Symphony.

[@mistertagomago7974]

I still think the classic games are better than the metroidvanias myself :)

[@ronniewhitedx]

To be fair I think that's everybody's top 3

[@Thrashman138]

This is an absolute delight to watch.

[@guyjusta9973]

Curse of darkness is underrated

[@gabrielruiz9871]

Such a deep fun game

[@christopherrowe7860]

I completely agree. Hector at least makes his way in the Netflix anime.

[@fanistermcdunna]

Hell yea it is. I grinded every devil to max level and hunted for every chair.

[@mastertroublemaker]

I love curse of darkness so much!!, sadly a very underrated game.

[@sinisterdraws4483]

Right?!! Its my favorite castlevania game love the mechanics

[@MrSEA-ok2ll]

I have just finished watching the Castlevania series on Netflix, which makes me want to play more of the games. Fantastic work on this video guys thank you!

[@haidandurham8630]

My top three (in order from 1 to 3 on how fond i am of them) 1. dawn of sorrow (i spent most of my childhood from about age 6 to like 13 grinding this game, unlocking everything, every ending, every weapon, getting to level 99, essentially making it impossible to die) 2. Order of ecclesia (i spent significantly less time on this game and my 8 year old self was never able to figure out how to get the long ending after you kill shanoas brother but in that time the game imprinted itself into my childhood memories) 3. Portrait of ruin (i spent even less time on this game but the gameplay and bosses were hella fun)

[@zakuguriin4521]

Haunted Castle (in America and Europe) or Akumajou Dracula (in Japan) for Arcade actually came out before Castlevania 3 on NES. The guy who did the soundtrack for Castlevania II did the soundtrack for the arcade game too. It was pretty obscure and a rare arcade game. It was also mind numbingly difficult, so it's not surpising many people forget about its existence or omit it from history of Castlevania youtube videos. It's available on PS4 as one of their "Arcade Archives" games on PSN. It allows you to play the Japanese, American and European versions of the game, as well as change the difficulty of the game including limited continues and absurd damage like the original arcade game. There is also an online high score so you can compete against other players and PSN trophies.

[@kiikat_]

Thank you guys! Castlevania is a franchise that shouldn't be forgotten. As a fan it is a treat to see quality videos like this.

[@JonathanTacoman]

Gawd damn i love Castlevania ... excellent video... do another series

[@bloomingboat414]

This was an excellent video, thank you Gamespot for this!

[@tiredsentinel1724]

Simon’s Quest has always been the game I can come back to. So glad it was included on the Mini-NES.Great video!!!

[@tenofdiamonds6440]

Oh man.. fantastic history of the series! Castlevania is one of my favorite series of all time. Great to see it get a quality video like this. Well done!

[@h.knight]

Finally I was waiting for this "History Of" thanks guys.

[@1tsrhodes]

Watching Konami fall apart has been so disheartening. A game teaser you guys produced became one of the most talked about horror game experiences of all time, you had Kojima, Guillermo del Toro, and Norman Reedus on board, and somehow you messed that up - what, because of your gambling addiction?

[@KatieCatWalker]

Fuck Konami! t(._.t)

[@MiracleMadao]

I think it also had Junji Ito.

[@jamelbunny5732]

@@MiracleMadao wait... WHAT!? tell me you're joking

[@crystalalumina]

@jovito garcía that was never mentioned, so no

[@KalumD734]

Konami is focused on Yugioh

[@chinaski6593]

Awesome video! always happy to see more content about my beloved Castlevania!

[@VGFreak]

Interesting and surprisingly deep review of the Castlevania series thus far. Thank you for that!

[@ethanknipfer8978]

I got my hands on SotN for the first time this weekend I’m requiem and I can’t believe I’ve missed out on it for this long

[@MrMatijas16]

Play Rondo of Blood as well its also fantastic

[@ethanknipfer8978]

MrMatijas16 I’ll check it out for sure!

[@mistertagomago7974]

Most of the classic games are worth playing tbh. Castlevania 3 the japanese version is my favorite but Super Castlevania, Rondo of blood, Bloodlines, and the Sharp x68000 Castlevania are all top notch games the latter 2 being quite underrated imo.

[@ethanknipfer8978]

Mister Tago Mago I’ve played most of the games on GBA and DS. My favorite games are Aria of Sorrow an Dawn of Sorrow

[@MexicanSheepMan]

Yeah, from the Classicvanias I'd recommend Castlevania 1, Castlevania 3, Super Castlevania IV, Rondo of Blood, Bloodlines, and Chronicles, those are overall the best Classicvanias, Dracula X on the SNES is not as good imo, but it's alright, tho the Dracula fight is kinda bullshit, there's also Haunted Castle which is some sort of retelling of Castlevania 1, it isn't pretty good, it was an arcade game so it is designed to make you spend a lot of your money in it, the gameboy games aren't as good because of the limitations, also I wish I could say The Adventure Rebirth is worth it, but sadly it isn't available anywhere anymore, since it was a digital game, but from the classic linear castlevania games I'd say play all of those, they're amazing games

[@sarikrana4215]

Castlevania Symphony of the night is my favourite. Its one that really got me hocked to the series. Great graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay.

[@d.c.stranded7134]

Who remembers the Gametrailers Castlevania Retrospective?

[@NueThunderKing]

I have them, I downloaded the Castlevania, Zelda, Final Fantasy and even Metal Gear retrospectives, they are damn good.

[@ZeusTheMatti]

Gametrailers hade some fucking awesome Retrospectives episodes

[@leoroyjankans4489]

In case people don't know: a bunch of the Gametrailers folks started Easy Allies, and they have a Dark Souls Retrospective!

[@DefinitelyReagan]

Still watch all of their retrospectives to this day. They are marvellous. I would give so much for them to finish their Diablo one.

[@emiliodiaz3927]

Still the best

[@Gamingwithgleez]

This video is amazing. Castlevania is one of my favorite series. Thanks for this.

[@simplemindedmann]

You also forgot a huge factor. Simon's quest was a birth of one of the biggest reoccurring sub bosses of the franchise. Carmilla.

[@darthmogutaro]

Great video. It brought back so many memories. I would've liked to hear a little from bloodstained.

[@dablaccaiyan9152]

Damn I loved this video, helping me download a lot of the games I didn't play yet....and now I know where the Netflix show is in terms of continuity.... 🔥🔥 Good shit bro!!!

[@jedimaster12100]

Wow this was excellent and very thorough. I enjoyed watching it. There are so many Castlevania games I have not played.

[@VideosbySteve]

Fantastic! You guys should do more of these vids.

[@johnsantisteban7362]

This was dope as all hell. Loved it and hope to see another video like this but on different franchises.

[@boriskondratev1704]

Great retrospective! Many thanks, folks!!

[@brandonvilla2420]

Is the Anime worth watching

[@MikeYt673]

Yeah dude it's really good

[@jaebeatz5167]

Absolutely

[@dirtybanana3]

yes!

[@amongallothers]

Yes. God yes.

[@sameold23]

Hell yea.

[@XCrocer]

A really deep and well made video :). Stay awesome guys, looking forward to the next video already!

[@Scruffytuba]

The show is phenomenal and I love all the subtle lore bits thrown in there. Cant wait for season 3

[@im2hastyle]

Wow! What a great retrospective!!!

[@spinzza4908]

Simon in Smash hype

[@spicypepperz]

Dont forget Richter ;)

[@spinzza4908]

Mr. Beyonder You're right

[@garomaster]

I played castlevania los 1 and 2 when I was working the third shift. so my gameplay time was around 1 am everyday. To me. those two games changed the way I saw games from then on. the narrative, the atmosphere... I felt identified in so many ways to the character, not because I was similar to him, but because I wanted to be like him. I will always remember those 2 games with a special affection. I hope my kids, if I ever have some, play these games.

[@omega17ds]

I have played and love most of these games. My top 3 are: 1. Order of Ecclesia 2. Circle of the Moon 3. Dawn of Sorrow And by default Symphony of the Night for the influence

[@MEGAGAMERX1000]

omega17ds but what about Super Castlevania IV? Thats like the best Classic/ Pre Symphony Vania game next to rondo of blood

[@omega17ds]

@@MEGAGAMERX1000 Those are also great, rondo is an absolute classic. I'm just a bit closer to the handhelds because they allowed me to play them more often.

[@deicidium1887]

I just started playing Castlevania when SOTN launched. Then after years of longing for that series, I've stumbled upon the GBA at DS versions. The ones I played that I can remember was Aria of Sorrow then Dawn of Sorrow and Ecclesia on DS. Those games are great. I really wished some of them would port over Switch. Right now after watching this vid, I might try getting into the other 2 GBA (Portrait of Ruin, Harmony) and the other DS castlevania that I didn't play the first time because I didn't like the starting premise haha.

[@omega17ds]

@@deicidium1887 agreed, they are definitely worth playing. Portrait of Ruin is on DS by the way. And I would buy Switch ports of any Castlevania in a heartbeat!!!

[@pryt86]

Order of ecclesia is soo good.

[@captainducra5019]

Awesome recollection of the amazing franchise! I am, however, shocked that you didn't mention anything about Koji Igarashi's *Bloodstained* series, which is essentially his resurrection of Castlevania.

[@IchMacheMich]

Amazing as always. Thanks guys

[@GregDaro28]

Great stuff guys, really wanted to watch this before I dove into the Netflix series. This did not disappoint. Can't wait for the next iteration of this series.

[@TheLordHighXcutioner]

Loved Curse of Darkness, being able to create weapons was fun. Forging those familiars, with unique powers and looks, awesome. Circle of the Moon was a deep game, so many goodies. Aria of Sorrow had great graphics, absorbing the souls was unique. Game was just too short. Great upload.

[@arnox4554]

Aria of Sorrow was decently long. Especially if you spend time collecting the souls. So not sure what you're talking about there.

[@DanDoesGame]

Super Castlevania 4 and Dracula X were my favorite games

[@FeiTheVillain]

Try the superior Rondo of Blood instead of Dracula X.

[@NectrozNeroz]

Love this video. Nice work and love to the castlevania series. Curse of darkness and Aria/Dawn of sorrow are my favorites!

[@boba_rhett]

For years now, I have traditionally watched the AVGN Castlevania episodes before Halloween. This is an awesome video I will be adding to my Halloween tradition.

[@SinisterSally]

Don't know if they knew this when coming up with the name but "Castlevania" does have a meaning. Sylvania is latin for woods or forest and Castle come from the Latin Castellum, Castlevania or Castelsylvania would mean the Forest of the Fort. So the land would be called Castlevania and the castle itself is called Dracula's Castle or The Demon's Castle.

[@NocturneCesarito]

They chose it because it sounds like Transylvania and it immediately reminds you of vampires, but that's it; the translation makes no sense since it was picked by japanese people mixing english and latin words; Transylvania's original name was Ultrasylvania (Ultra = beyond Sylvam = woods) which translates as "Beyond the Forest" as hungarian monks spoke latin and named the town translating literally the hungarian expression Erdő-elve (Yes, I googled this part!)

[@angeluss28]

Comertially Castlevania spunda better even if it means nothing.

[@djayjp]

Fort of the forest.

[@CastlevaniaDXC]

This made me tear up ♡

[@ryanhorton9594]

Guys...this is fantastic work. I applaud this video.

[@BruceKenobi]

I love this documentaries!!!! please keep them coming!!!

[@browk2512]

Soooo glad to be getting Simon and Richter in Smash!

[@MrGRmask]

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia will always be my favorite game in the series for it's story, characters, gameplay elements, AMAZING soundtrack, and the overall visuals. I love a lot of the games in the series, but for me, Order of Ecclesia gave me the best CV experience ever.

[@wonderpierrot]

I agree. The soundtrack alone makes the game worthwhile.

[@rahnyc4]

Symphony of the night is people favorite, who haven't touched the others after. i'm weird because circle of the moon hold a special spot in my heart.

[@metalbrainmextrememetalent6810]

That game is tough. Top 5 hardest castlevania games.

[@MrGRmask]

@Sr DeSilva It was one of the more interesting games when it comes to designs. I liked it a lot

[@jaebeatz5167]

RedoLane I wish they’d remake that one specifically, Always liked how it wasn’t a Belmont this time.