The night has just fallen onto Transylvania, as a familiar evil fills the air. A broken down and terrifying castle looks ominous in front of the full moon. It appears Count Dracula has risen again and whoever wields the Vampire Killer whip will have to destroy him. Using their skills and weapons, can they survive the night?
Image courtesy of VG Museum
Their adventure will be filled with perilous traps and horrifying monsters the likes mere mortals are too terrified to see.
This is Castlevania.
Castlevania is a video game franchise which celebrates horror and manages to cram in some of the best gameplay of any action/action-RPG game. The spooky atmosphere, references to classic horror films and mythology and overall quality between games has made Castlevania a series many gamers are fond of.
Everyone has a Halloween tradition…
As the Lifecast’s resident Castlevania fanatic, I always try to play as many of the games as possible during the Halloween season. Whether it’s running through the castle in Symphony of the Night or fighting Dracula for the first time in the original game, I am not picky. I enjoy the series that much.
Image courtesy of VG Museum
I decided to change it up this year for my yearly binge. I decided to share my love for the franchise with the Lifecast.
Welcome to the 31 Nights of Castlevania!
From October 1st to the 31st, there will be a new Castlevania review on the Lifecast’s homepage. It will end with a big 30th anniversary retrospective on the first game in the series, as it is celebrating the big 3-0 here in the ‘states.
Giving Castlevania a proper series retrospective
The entries themselves will be varied enough from the series’ eras. The classic platformers on the NES and SNES, the awkward but decent 3D period and the birth of the Metroidvania genre. There will even be some coverage of spin-offs, rip-offs, and the (surprisingly) critically acclaimed Netflix show.
It will end with a big 30th anniversary retrospective on the first entry, as it is celebrating the big 3-0.
However… what will be the first to kick it off?
Here’s a hint…
Image courtesy of VG Museum.