Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

 Game Boy Advance
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: May 6, 2003
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 242 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 219 out of 242
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 242
  3. Negative: 10 out of 242
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  1. [Anonymous]
    Apr 4, 2004
    10
    This game is incredible. Live and die by that saying, "Third times a charm".
  2. KevinS.
    Jul 3, 2003
    10
    This is my favorite Castlevania game, and one of my favorite GBA games. The AoS's graphics are some of the best I've seen for GBA. The story is great, the music is awesome and the Action/RPG style cant be beat! This is probably the best Castlevania game ever!
  3. Death
    Nov 19, 2004
    10
    It is the best of all GBA titles.
  4. RobertL.
    May 31, 2004
    10
    This title is easily worth twice the purchase price. Awesome powers+awesome weapons+challenging baddies=Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow.
  5. RyokenI.
    Mar 23, 2008
    10
    Brilliant! If you like super metroid, wonderboy 3- dragons trap, and of course SOTN, you will love this to pieces. Exploration, platform gaming, rpg and collection game (think pokemon) this game should appeal to a broad audience, the only possible fllaw being it''s difficulty level... too easy. But with a bit of creativity, you can even devise a challenge game (try beating it Brilliant! If you like super metroid, wonderboy 3- dragons trap, and of course SOTN, you will love this to pieces. Exploration, platform gaming, rpg and collection game (think pokemon) this game should appeal to a broad audience, the only possible fllaw being it''s difficulty level... too easy. But with a bit of creativity, you can even devise a challenge game (try beating it with one kind of weapon, or no armor!) 38/40… Expand
  6. AbdullahA.
    Jun 1, 2003
    10
    The game is so good....i can't stop myself in collecting spirits and increasing the level....but there is still places i didn't discover so far...but in general the game worth a deep play.
  7. RaphaelR.
    Jun 29, 2003
    10
    The first time i finished it the ending was bad but i found out that this game has 3 endings beating chaos is the best ending and having the chaos ring equipped. note:graham is not the last boss.
  8. JohnL.
    Jul 9, 2003
    10
    This is way better than other Castlevania games.
  9. RobertB.
    Aug 12, 2003
    10
    Aria of Sorrow is one of my favorite games on the GBA because you can get a bunch of abilities through souls from monsters you defeat, the graphics are better than HOD, and it's real fun to play. AOS overall is fun game that you'll keep playing for years on end.
  10. AzizK.
    Sep 22, 2003
    10
    I Think It Has To Be One Of The Best Ever Games On A Nintendo Console!
  11. Max
    May 1, 2004
    10
    I was proud to get a sore neck from staring at the little screen for hours playing this supurb game.
  12. Michael
    Mar 11, 2008
    10
    This is by far the best platforming 2D adventure game I've ever played. I'm shocked that Circle of the Moon has a comparable score to this game since by comparison, Circle of the Moon is a bit of a mess. I'd recommend this game to anyone with a DS or a GBA.
  13. NathanI.
    Apr 28, 2003
    10
    Tight game.
  14. D.J.
    Jun 26, 2003
    10
    The only bad part is totally finishing it.
  15. ZeroLayer
    Jul 29, 2003
    10
    It's the first Castlevania game I got. And I'm hooked. Great graphics, tight controls and incredibly addicting.
  16. ChrisR.
    Mar 13, 2004
    10
    Just as good as Symphony of the Night and my favorite GBA game. It is truly a great game.
  17. Manny
    Mar 17, 2004
    10
    The best of the gba castlevanias and thats saying a lot. An A class game all the way.
  18. Soma
    Sep 29, 2004
    10
    A true classic that combines the best of gaming, and the best of sound. Amazingly addicting as well. Buy it now.
  19. ShawnC.
    Jan 23, 2006
    10
    I love it! It has great game play and amazing graphics!
  20. Matseb2611
    May 18, 2011
    10
    After having played more than a dozen of Castlevania titles, I think Aria of Sorrow is still my favourite. The game takes place in the year 2035, many years after Dracula's defeat, but now Dracula's power is about to be reborn in a new dark lord candidate. You play as Soma Cruz, a student who found himself in the castle and realises that he has the ability to steal the souls of theAfter having played more than a dozen of Castlevania titles, I think Aria of Sorrow is still my favourite. The game takes place in the year 2035, many years after Dracula's defeat, but now Dracula's power is about to be reborn in a new dark lord candidate. You play as Soma Cruz, a student who found himself in the castle and realises that he has the ability to steal the souls of the monsters after defeating them. With this soul system the player gets access to an enormous variety of secondary attacks as well as permanent buffs. Just like with Symphony of the Night, the player is not limited to only one weapon, but can use a lot of different weapons he/she finds throughout the game, ranging from swords, to hammers, to spears, and even to guns. Also just like SOTN, and the other GBA Castlevania games, this is a Metroid style Castlevania, meaning the whole game is like a one huge map, where certain parts can only be reached later in the game after acquiring a certain ability or an item. Aria of Sorrow, despite having rather simple GBA graphics is a very beautiful and stunning looking game. The level design is fantastic, and the soundtrack is just as beautiful, complementing perfectly with visual beauty of the game. The controls are easy, making it convenient to control your character, and the game has just about a perfect level of difficulty, without it seeming too easy or too frustrating. There is literally nothing bad I can say about Aria of Sorrrow. The only thing I think SOTN has over it are the graphics.… Expand
  21. RidleayRomero
    Nov 30, 2018
    10
    I love Aria of Sorrow. The game is so much fun to go through that it's almost impossible to get everything in just one single run of the game. Great music, great gameplay, great boss fights. The game is practically flawless.
  22. Lucif3r
    Oct 3, 2019
    10
    My favorite Castlevania and GBA game ever made.
    The soul system gives good replay value and the castle layout is very good. Very well made game.
  23. arcazeronus
    Oct 26, 2013
    10
    The storyline, the sprites, the music; everything is amazing about this game.
    Just like SotN, it's basically a Metroidvania. There is so many things to discover, so many things to loot. The music in this game is great. The art style of characters are unique. The overall world is looking brilliant.
    Even if you beat the game for a few times, you still want to play it more. The levels are    The storyline, the sprites, the music; everything is amazing about this game.
    Just like SotN, it's basically a Metroidvania. There is so many things to discover, so many things to loot. The music in this game is great. The art style of characters are unique. The overall world is looking brilliant.
    Even if you beat the game for a few times, you still want to play it more. The levels are designed well, and when you beat the game, you get rewarded by having more playability.
    If you've never played this game and you liked any of Castlevania games, you should play this.    … Expand
  24. camptownrangers
    Sep 5, 2015
    10
    Far, far superior to Symphony of the Night.

    This game nails down every aspect of good design, from the great design of the castle to the unparalleled soul collection system that keeps the game perpetually fresh and damn fun.
  25. Chris5667
    Jul 8, 2020
    10
    With All its items, features and souls, a great story, rpg elements, its fantastic Soma Cruz as the main character and of course its delicious and fantastic music, this could be easily not only my favorite Castlevania in the series (even over the masterpiece SOTN) but also my favorite GBA game of all times even better than true jewels such as Metroid Fusion or Megaman Zero.
  26. frankzhang2046
    Nov 11, 2019
    10
    My favorite video game of all time. The movement is incredibly responsive, music is amazing, the system is intuitive. Overall the flow of the game is so good that I've played this game at least 20 times in total yet still goes back to revisit it from time to time.
  27. OverBoost2004
    Jul 23, 2021
    10
    The Best Of Castlevania,is Aria Of Sorrow, This Game Is Awasome,it has a brilliant Gameplay and a great map. I simply can repeat The best of castlevania!
  28. Zerofear
    Feb 13, 2021
    10
    Fantastic game with start to finish. I loved how it contains so much equipment and unique Soul Set that I found interesting. Controls are more improved than previous title. Soma is strongest character that can even go against Belmonts. There is many area to explore
  29. JackMcloed
    Jul 4, 2021
    10
    It doesn't get any better than this on a portable console. A masterfully made game. Graphics - 10
    Presentation - 9.5
    Gameplay - 10
    Sound - 9.5
    Lasting Appeal - 10
  30. Darkspawn677
    Oct 12, 2022
    10
    Soma cruz is the son of alucard and he is the reincarnation of alucard each belmont is a reincarnation of the previous one and tepes the castlevania games need to be more rpg like
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2003
8
#8 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2003
2
#2 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. eToychest
    100
    With all of its unique features and amounts of item/soul collection, Aria could be considered second to only one other game in the Castlevania series – the masterpiece, "Symphony of the Night."
    Read full review
  2. GamePro
    90
    A superior GBA adventure in every respect and a marked improvement on "Harmony of Dissonance." Still, it is another "Symphony of the Night" clone—if you’re feeling a little sick of the same ol’ thing, this game may be the breaking point.
    Read full review
  3. Play Magazine
    90
    As transfixing and hand-drawn inspired as any Castlevania before it, or any game for that matter, even if it does lost some of its hold on the handheld platform. [June 2003, p.56]
See all critic reviews »