Revealed during the latest Nintendo Direct was Konami’s Castlevania Advance Collection; a bundle of the finest games from the iconic Castlevania series. It’s that same bundle which is now available to purchase, download and play on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC.
Available to purchase and download right now, with a £15.99 price tag in place from the Xbox Store, the Castlevania Advance Collection brings together some of the most highly regarded fan favourite titles from the Castlevania franchise series, the likes of Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, and Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Whilst those are the three headliners, the Collection also features a special fourth bonus title in the form of the 1995 SNES game Castlevania: Vampire’s Kiss (also known as ‘Dracula X’ in the Americas).
The Development team for Castlevania Advance Collection at Konami Digital Entertainment commented, “We wanted more people to be able to experience the Castlevania series – in particular the action/adventure titles as they are all masterpieces that can still be enjoyed today. We recognised that there were few titles that could actually be played on today’s consoles, so we began creating Castlevania Advance Collection. We decided to make this release a multiplatform launch so that as many people as possible could enjoy these titles on their consoles. The Castlevania series is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, thanks to the support of its many fans and, of course, all of the people involved in its creation. The production team is honoured to be able to work on this series and we will continue to strive to make Castlevania well-known and played by as many people as possible. Thank you for your continued support of this series!”
So what exactly do you get in the Castlevania Advance Collection? Well, in addition to having access to the four timeless classics, it also offers players new features to enhance their gameplay experience. There’s immediate access to all the iconic Castlevania soundtracks in each game, including the hidden ones, for a total of 71 songs and players can even create their own customisable playlists to listen to their absolute favourites on repeat.
But further to that and fans will also get to see behind-the-scenes content via the in-game gallery which features sketches and work-in-progress drawings. This includes never-before-seen art, as well as scanned package designs, which will be a particular point of interest for long-time fans of the franchise.
And then for those who think of themselves as a bit of a completionist, Castlevania Advance Collection comes equipped with an encyclopedia of data relating to the four titles, including information on enemies, equipment, items and more. To ensure that no area or enemy goes unchecked, players will be able to record, replay and rewind their gameplay whenever they see fit. And that’s not even speaking of the tech used to deliver the top-notch gameplay emulation to these franchise classics, ensuring the best possible recreation for fans.
Whether you find yourself as a returning fan or are coming in completely new to the franchise, you’ll find the following games all included…
- Castlevania: Circle of the Moon follows protagonist Nathan Graves, a vampire hunter apprentice who enters Dracula’s Castle along with his Master in order to prevent the dreaded return of the Count orchestrated by Camilla.
- Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance features Juste Belmont, the grandson of legendary Vampire Hunter Simon Belmont, in his fight against Dracula. This title introduced many new features to the franchise, such as ‘Boss Rush’ mode and the ‘Spell Fusion’ system.
- Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow tells the story of Soma Cruz, a young high school exchange student in Japan, who is somehow involved in the eternal cycle of reincarnation of the Dark Lord himself. What role does Soma play in all of this, and will he be able to return to his own world?
- Castlevania: Vampire’s Kiss is a reimagining of the cult action game Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and has been acclaimed as one of the most challenging Castlevania titles ever created. The Dark Lord Count Dracula rises once again from the dead to revive the forces of darkness. Richter Belmont, heir of the Belmont family, sets out for Dracula’s Castle to defeat its evil master.
Castlevania Advance Collection is available right now from the usual stores, with you able to grab it and play on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S (the Xbox Store link is here), PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. Keep an eye out for our review soon.
And if you need more Castlevania in your life, the Castlevania Anniversary Collection is also available.
Game Description:
Count Dracula is once more back from the dead… Join the fight against Evil in the Castlevania Advance Collection, a compilation of timeless action-exploration masterpieces! In addition to the three legendary Castlevania games that were first released in the early 2000s, this collection also includes Castlevania: Dracula X and some never-before-seen sketches and artwork from the games! All four games are enhanced with newly added modern features such as Rewind, Save/Load and Replay, making this the best way possible to experience these classics or discover them for the first time! This collection also boasts a handy Encyclopedia, a Music Player with all soundtracks and you can even change the ROM Region to play all games in different versions.
