REVIEW: Castlevania Anniversary Collection PS4

This release was incredibly special for me. Not only have I been a steadfast Castlevania fan since the good ol NES days. I've literally played (and finished for the most part) every entry with exceptions to some of the spinoffs "Kid Dracula Included" Which is why I'm so happy it was included in this collection.

One of the biggest treats in this collection is the inclusion of Castlevania Bloodlines. This phenomenal entry has been trapped on the Sega Genesis/Megadrive since its release in 1994. It's one of the finest early Castlevania titles which really did push the console to the absolute max. If you didn't have a chance to play it 25 years ago. This is a great new way to experience a true classic.

Now on to the whole package. The Anniversary collection is sporting a total of 8 titles: CastlevaniaCastlevania III Dracula’s Curse, Castlevania II Belmont’s Revenge, Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania Bloodlines, Kid Dracula, Castlevania the Adventure, and Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest. They consist of titles from the NES, SNES, Sega Genesis/ Megadrive, and the original Gameboy.

They have been tweaked to look sharp on a modern display with a vast array of filters to have it looking the way you prefer. Scan lines to mimic a CRT TV, Perfect pixel which smooths out the pixel edges and a whole bunch more to play around with. It's great that Konami had everybody's preference in mind.

Call me old school. But I definitely prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio with no filters to keep it as authentic as possible. But to each their own depending on your display and your visual preferences.

Now on the included games. I'll start off by stating that none of these games are a walk in the park. especially the NES titles. Your character moves at a very plodding pace making timing of jumps, attacks, and general movement incredibly crucial. All of them sport that old school platforming difficulty that us Castlevania fans or old school gamers generally love. The newer releases such and IV and Bloodlines sport a more fast paced accessible style of play. Such as multi directional attacks a vaster array of sub weapons and overall quicker pace. It's not to say these entries are better than their older siblings. Castlevania III specifically being regarded as one of the best in the series. They're just a little more accessible to new comers of the series with more modern features resembling 2D games of newer systems.

Without saying however, I highly recommend playing them in Chronological order. Not just for story and lore related purposes. But also because the original trilogy is some of if not the best NES and platforming games of their time. I highly recommend any player interested in the genre to start here. The soundtrack to boot is just fantastic.

The series arms the player generally with one main weapon and an array of sub weapons. the Sub weapons require "hearts" which you find by hitting objects in the stage to use. Candles, pots, Etc. Some of the boss battles require careful salvation of these hearts to maximize on your sub weapons. It's not to say that they're not possible to defeat with your standard attacks. In fact some die hard fans enjoy doing runs prohibiting sub weapons. They just make slaying them much less arduous.

These are primarily action titles with very little down time. From the moment you boot them up to the moment you either see the credits roll or that game over screen. You are whipping, slashing, and disposing of all varieties of Dracula's minions. They're great games to play when you just have 1 or 2 hours at your disposal. They require very little time investment and don't take long to get the mechanics under your belt. Will you be able to finish them in your first run though? I would be real impressed if you did. But most likely they will require multiple playthroughs to get the enemy and boss patterns down pat. As well as memorize where some of the game's well placed secrets are to help you along your journey.

As in regards to extras.The compilation sports a Bonus Book with some goodies and a video interview with the Castlevania Netflix producer Adi Shankar. An interesting watch and at least they included something regarding designs, Interviews and other goodies for the die hard Castlevania fans.

So, would I recommend this compilation to new comers and non Castlevania players? Well that would depend on if you are into 2D action adventures and more importantly if you prefer a hearty challenge in the games you play. What I can tell you is if both of those are up your alley. These are the pioneers and some of the absolute best in the genre that are a must play in my books. There's never been a better compilation of the older titles which don't require having all of your older consoles hooked up. It's a very convenient way to play some of the best games of the previous generation.

All images belong to their respected owners

Score9.5/10

Playtime: 15 hours

Platform: PS4