American release of Castlevania turns 25 years old today!

NintendoLegend

I did a little write-up of the event, but I am more curious about what you guys think of the Castlevania series. What are your fondest memories of the original game or titles since then? Let's celebrate a worthy silver anniversary!

Shogun

Im going to start a play through right now! Amazing series. I had 3 as a kid, and often played 1 and 2 at my uncle's house, so they are a big part of my childhood NES memories. I also had Super Castlevania IV on the snes later on.



Getting hit on the stairs and dying is a 'fond' memory that is basically burned into my soul.

Sgt.Pepper1983

There is no better series of games. My first exposure to the series was when I would visit my dad when I was 8 or 9. He had #2 and 3. I can't even begin to guess how many weekends I would stay up until I dropped. I think #4 was the next one I got. This was after I had beat #2 and 3, so I definitely agreed with the reviews I read that called it "disapointingly easy". I beat it within a week. I loaned it to a friend who had never played Castlevania before and it still took him less than a month to beat it. I found the original at a thrift store. It me five years to beat it. I think Bloodlines was the next one I got. I can't remember how long it took to beat it, but it was less than a year. The next one I got was Circle of the Moon. It took some getting used to. I didn't really like it that much, so I wasn't motivated to do anything about it when the battery died. I finally got around to beating it a few months ago. The next one I got was the Castlevania Double Pack. I don't remember how long it took to beat. I made the mistake of paying $10 for the first one on the gameboy. I got Symphony and Chronicles on ebay. Then I tried Lament of Innocence. I didn't really like it at first, but it grew on me. I finally got around to beating it either last October or the one before. I really enjoyed Curse of Darkness. I beat it within a month. It took a month or two to beat each of the ds titles. I got Portrait of Ruin when it was new, then Dawn of Sorrow, and I got Order of Ecclesia when it was new. I finally got around to giving Belmont's Revenge and Legends a try. I enjoyed them both but I don't understand why Legends costs so much. Belmont's Revenge is much more fun. I beat both of them last October. I bought Dracula X and Rebirth on wii-ware two years ago. I beat them both in October the year before last. I also have both of the nes repro carts that are on thenesdump. I've liked repros since I first found out about them. They breathe new life into systems that died years ago. I beat both of them last October. I didn't get around to buying Lords of Shadow until last month, but I rented it last October. I beat it before the month was over. I will never understand why so many fans hate it. My sister loved hearing Patrick Stewart's voice throughout the game, especially the dialogue right before he died.

WolfAlmighty

CV1 has possibly the best soundtrack in a single NES game. ALL the songs are catchy and will stick with you. Even Megaman 2 has a couple of mediocre songs, but CV1 is pure 8-bit gold.

Retroxander

I had the series growing up as a kid and I always play it every once in awhile and it never ceases to amaze me and piss me off with difficulty haha. But it is by far one great game to be remembered and played constantly over and over till your fingers bleed busting chicken out of a wall lol.

Tanooki

I've been with it since the beginning and played all the releases up through when it jumped from Nintendo(and Sega Genesis) up through PS2. I never got them as I saw them in action and they were awful. The portable games stepped things into a nice direction for awhile with the GBA and the first on DS but then cratered too. I'm hoping to see a good game come from the series again as it has been a long time. Lords of Shadow was Castlevania in title but really it was a rebranded title. I had it but never could get time to finish it so I passed it on, maybe I should give it a roll again as it felt like God of War which isn't a bad thing. Also that game is getting a sequel supposedly tied off the hidden ending after the credits on the title.



I still believe the original to be in the very top of the sound track selection as the music is just that good.



Oh and for fun, found this a couple years back. Came from the designers website initially.

K.Thrower

My favorite game series. Symphony of the Night is my favorite, followed by the GBA titles.

MinusWorlds

Best. Series. Ever. Period.

Elijah

Happy Birthday Castlevania!



Yeah one of my faves for sure!



My fondest memory, was climbing Dracula's Steps to the Castle for the first time. What a site! Probably the best boss battle, and lead-in I can remember.

whitetrashshayno

Time for that epic 12 minute vampire killer medely on youtube.

Warped

I can't begin to tell you just how much I love this series. Both Castlevania and Zelda are my two favorites and I always buy every game of each that comes out. I honestly can't write about my favorite moments in the series, I would be here all night. So in a very concise manner, here is what I love so much about the series -



The musical score has always been top notch. Both it and Zelda have the best musical scores in all of video games, period.

The graphics also never let you down. It is as if you are playing a renaissance painting.

The subject matter is captivating. I have always been into monsters.

The story is kick ass. Belmonts Vs. the Prince of Darkness.

I love European culture and ancestry. The Eastern European mythos and art tantalize my eyes.

The games are challenging and don't hold your hand.



Favorite game in the series: Super Castlevania IV

Game that gets too bad of a rap: Castlevania 64

You should try: The reboot, Lords of Shadow. It's beautiful even though its story is not as good as the original.