Before I fall asleep each night, I mumble to myself, ‘What a horrible night to have a curse.’ At least I used to, but those days are over, baby. The curse has been broken! We have finally received a new Castlevania game. I can hear you all gasping in disbelief, but it’s true. I wouldn’t joke about something this serious. Castlevania fans have suffered enough.
Alongside three sublime ports of the classic Nintendo DS titles, the Castlevania Dominus Collection provides fans with the horrifying-for-all-the-wrong-reasons Haunted Castle, as well as an odd little title called Haunted Castle Revisited.
But what the jaded, cynical, Castlevania fan may assume to be a basic remix of the one game none of them want to play, is, in fact, an honest-to-goodness remake. Top to bottom. Everything is new here. From the sprites to the physics to the stage layouts: it’s a total overhaul. Suddenly, what was once an interesting footnote in the history of Castlevania is now a game worth playing. It is like the tale of Pinocchio becoming a real boy but with more whips and leather.
No, not in the sexy way. Get your mind out of the gutter, people. We are slaying vampires here!
Maybe that doesn’t sound like a ‘new’ Castlevania game to you. If this were another series, maybe I would agree. However, and bear with me here, this is about to get complicated… Both Vampire Killer and Akumajou Dracula (for the x68000) are remakes of the original Castlevania that change a variety of elements. The PS1’s Castlevania Chronicles, on the other hand, is both a port and a remake of Akumajou Dracula (yes, it is a remake of a remake). Dracula X is something of a reinterpretation of Rondo of Blood that adds, and removes, a variety of elements. Finally, Castlevania: ReBirth is a remake of Castlevania the Adventure that dramatically reimagines the original. Do you see where I am going with this? If you don’t count every game in the series that is some form of remake of another game then there have been, like, two and a half Castlevania titles in total.
Fun Fact: Dracula rises from the grave every 100 years, yet Simon has killed him eight times. Bro, how old are you?
So What Is So Different About Haunted Castle Revisited?
When I say this is a remake, I don’t use those words lightly. Massive sections of every stage are different now. We’re talking about completely new obstacles, new enemies, and different item placements. Hell, not only is the item placement different, but the items themselves are, too. The axe, which was missing from Haunted Castle, has been added back in, and you’ll find crystal orbs to upgrade your whip — yes, you read that right, you couldn’t upgrade your whip in the original Haunted Castle. Wall meat is back as well, so you’ll be able to engage in that classicvania ritual of whipping everything you encounter in hopes of uncovering a turkey dinner.
But the biggest upgrade of all is to the pacing. While Castlevania games tend to be more deliberate, Haunted Castle felt downright laborious. Revisited, on the other hand, is among the most spritely classicvania titles ever made. The iconic Belmont strut has become the Belmont speedwalk, as Simon now zips from ghoul to ghost on his quest to save his wife.
If you even vaguely like the Castlevania games, then I strongly encourage you to snag the Dominus Collection. Haunted Castle Revisited isn’t a long game. Even on the hardest difficulty setting — which feels like the standard Castlevania difficulty — you’ll be able to beat it in around an hour. But the moment I did, I went back for more.
Haunted Castle Revisited is everything I wanted from a new Castlevania title. For the first time in a decade, it feels like the series is back. This sensation may be fleeting, and we may once again be cast into limbo, but at least we got one more moment of vampire-slaying goodness. Given the state of Konami, that is one more moment than I expected to receive.
