Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

 Game Boy Advance
  • Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Jun 10, 2001
User Score
8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 153 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 117 out of 153
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 153
  3. Negative: 9 out of 153
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  1. Squall
    Sep 8, 2005
    10
    The difficulty was intense and rewarding. I loved the secret classes that you could unlock, much better than the secret characters in SOTN or HOD in my opinion. The spell system was awesome except for the fact that it is extremely hard to track down all of the cards. Music was brilliant and I was glad to hear remixes of popular tunes such as 'vampire killer.'
  2. GeorgeS.
    Apr 7, 2006
    10
    I was so excited about this game I bought a GBA right when they came out FOR this game. I wasn't even a big Castlevania fan UNTIL I played this. First Castlevania game I ever played and as far as I can tell (havent played all of them but ive played most) one of the best. Its a shame that Konami listened to people whining about the difficulty which resulted in the average pathetic I was so excited about this game I bought a GBA right when they came out FOR this game. I wasn't even a big Castlevania fan UNTIL I played this. First Castlevania game I ever played and as far as I can tell (havent played all of them but ive played most) one of the best. Its a shame that Konami listened to people whining about the difficulty which resulted in the average pathetic difficult bright colored Harmony of Dissonance.… Expand
  3. JonH.
    Feb 6, 2005
    10
    Another masterpiece Castlevania game, It plays so well on the gamebody advance.
  4. MP83
    Aug 10, 2005
    9
    One of the first GBA games that made me to buy myself a Gameboy Advance couple of years ago (I now own the SP version of it). Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is THAT good. =)
  5. RyanC.
    Nov 5, 2002
    10
    This is one of the greatest games I have ever played. I hope Harmony of Dissonance is as good as this was. [dragon}
  6. AlexM.
    Aug 29, 2003
    10
    Its the most wonderful game in the universe!!!
  7. nitorita
    Feb 3, 2020
    5
    This game is overrated at 8.5. I started off this review with a score of 7 because I enjoyed the exploration initially but disliked the controls. Ultimately, I reduced it to a 5 for "hit or miss". This game suffers for the same reason that made Super Castlevania IV bad: masochistically hard bosses.

    Circle of the Moon recycles the clunky controls of the Simon Belmont era of Castlevania    This game is overrated at 8.5. I started off this review with a score of 7 because I enjoyed the exploration initially but disliked the controls. Ultimately, I reduced it to a 5 for "hit or miss". This game suffers for the same reason that made Super Castlevania IV bad: masochistically hard bosses.

    Circle of the Moon recycles the clunky controls of the Simon Belmont era of Castlevania games, and reincorporates inconveniences like bidirectional whip, no potions, and horrendously slow movement if you don't constantly run. There is no mention on how to use weapon items (which, apart from the Boomerang, all suck for that matter), or what the significance of the DSS system is (and how grindy it is to get anything decent to use it with).

    Because there are basically no potions, some areas can be annoying to traverse due to enemies that are hard to get past and constantly whittle down your health. Bosses are randomly spread across the map, which means you can get lost figuring out where to go next and are expected to blindly search around.

    Halfway into the game, you will encounter two bosses with insane health pools that will always beat you through attrition. They're not downright impossible, but they're certainly frustrating and would need several hundred tries to even get close to beating them (if you don't get physically exhausted first). If you're the kind of gamer who likes to play blind and doesn't like grinding for hours, preserve your sanity and just move onto the next game.

    Overall, the boss difficulty and clunky controls heavily weighed on my rating and interest in this game. If you can tolerate poor balancing and mindless grinding, it's a semi-decent Metroidvania to try if you spoil yourself and use to a guide to tell you exactly everything to collect to make your life easier. Otherwise, I struggle to see how this game deserves any more than at best a 6. If you were to look online yourself, everyone unanimously agrees that those two bosses are the hardest in the game, even more so than the final boss. That's just ridiculous.    … Expand
  8. ylnylmn
    Aug 11, 2021
    7
    I had a hard time. It was probably the hardest castlevania game I've ever played. Even C3 wasn't that hard. The map of the game tired me a lot. Level design is not very good. Teleport rooms are too far away. Enemies are very difficult, there are enemies that constantly poison and freeze. The bosses were the hardest game bosses I've ever seen in my life. For some reason, our health does notI had a hard time. It was probably the hardest castlevania game I've ever played. Even C3 wasn't that hard. The map of the game tired me a lot. Level design is not very good. Teleport rooms are too far away. Enemies are very difficult, there are enemies that constantly poison and freeze. The bosses were the hardest game bosses I've ever seen in my life. For some reason, our health does not regenerate after bosses. My damage to Bosses is very low, but I take more damage. I don't like the card system, you have to farm it all the time. That's why I was able to collect half of it. You have to farm hearts too. Potions are hard to collect. I wish the game had a shop system. At least I would get potions, I wouldn't spend that much time on bosses. The variety of items was also very less. Game controls weren't good either. Really mediocre compared to Aria and Dawn of Sorrow.To tell the truth. It pushed me so hard. I died hundreds of times, but I finished the game. Still, master players knows how to enjoy this game. And not bad for the year.… Expand
  9. Rad3on
    Dec 4, 2020
    0
    this game and konami can suck my d1ck
    how konami allowed this piece of sh1et being released?
    it's hard and unbalanced vertical castle map? wtf save points and teleport devices are terribly positioned not to mention the goddamn drop rate, you can barely collect healing itens from monster, you have to camp save points all the time, EVERYTHING good in this game has to be droped, and it    this game and konami can suck my d1ck
    how konami allowed this piece of sh1et being released?
    it's hard and unbalanced
    vertical castle map? wtf
    save points and teleport devices are terribly positioned
    not to mention the goddamn drop rate, you can barely collect healing itens from monster, you have to camp save points all the time, EVERYTHING good in this game has to be droped, and it has a fuccing low drop rate
    and don't come here and tell me i don't know how to play this sh1t, bcs i beat this crap and i'm based enough to say all of this
    and saying again, fucc konami    … Expand
  10. XV_
    Feb 16, 2020
    8
    At first, I was somewhat doubtful but when I played the first hour I was playing with a smile and having a lot of fun. If you have played Metroid or another 2D Castlevania you know the drill, unlock abilities, backtrack, unlock abilities and then backtrack some more, this formula still works great in this title. The challenge is good for the most part and the music is on par.

    I really    At first, I was somewhat doubtful but when I played the first hour I was playing with a smile and having a lot of fun. If you have played Metroid or another 2D Castlevania you know the drill, unlock abilities, backtrack, unlock abilities and then backtrack some more, this formula still works great in this title. The challenge is good for the most part and the music is on par.

    I really liked some characters and some moments that feel truly iconic, like Camila that feeling that Hugh (your rival character) gives to you that you're racing each other, that being said I have some issues that go in the way for this to be a 9 or 9.5. The first one is that at times, some bosses feel more annoying than challenging, and that goes for the final boss. I didn't need to make any grind till that point because my damage was ridiculous. My second issue comes from the item and card system, I'm not that fan of getting your powerups in easy mode but I also don't like to make like 2 hours of mindless grinding and be luck dependant, it robs the all the fun and transforms the game into a chore.

    Putting my complaints aside I really enjoyed Circle of the Moon, maybe is not as iconic as Symphony of the Night but I don't think they're that far from each other.    … Expand
  11. Matseb2611
    May 22, 2011
    6
    Definitely not as good as Aria of Sorrow, or even Harmony of Dissonance for that matter, in my opinion. The game is quite nice in itself. The graphics are all right, the music is really great (lots of great remixes of classic Castlevania tracks too), and the gameplay is fun, even though the controls are a bit of a pain. The main issue I have with this title is that the difficulty is wayDefinitely not as good as Aria of Sorrow, or even Harmony of Dissonance for that matter, in my opinion. The game is quite nice in itself. The graphics are all right, the music is really great (lots of great remixes of classic Castlevania tracks too), and the gameplay is fun, even though the controls are a bit of a pain. The main issue I have with this title is that the difficulty is way too high. Now maybe that's a good thing if you want a challenge. However with RPG-style games such as this, it just becomes annoying to be forced to spend hours on level grinding just so you can at least survive against the next boss. It dramatically breaks the pace of the game and as a result you even forget the story and what was happening all along. You just circle between half a dozen rooms, killing enemies over and over and over. Other than that it's a fun game, so if you don't mind spending tonnes of time on levelling up, you should enjoy it. Otherwise I'd suggest for you to try Harmony of Dissonance or yet better Aria of Sorrow. In fact try those anyway if you like this style of games.… Expand
  12. systemjimmy
    Apr 3, 2013
    10
    An amazing portable Castlevania that takes place outside the main story of the older games.
    It has beautifull 2d graphics, one of the best music for a GBA game and tons of unlockable modes.
    With clever design that encourages exploration and backtracking, rewarding difficulty and some of the coolest boss fights this is a masterpiece surely you don't want to miss.
  13. BillyGoaT
    Jun 26, 2013
    10
    This game is the best castlevania to date! It's got tight controls, and great challenge. It also does a great job with the sub weapons, they are super useful. The story isn't really there but somehow still does the job. Its a masterpiece.
  14. AZWification
    Dec 16, 2010
    8
    Well, Aria of Sorrow was a must-play game, but Circle of Moon is not bad either , but is just a shame that the Belmonts are missing and the game is not that enjoyable.The game got realistic graphics, amazing tunes and decent gameplay.The same thing to the NES Castlevania masterpieces.But this game is I don't know too HARD!!!!This game don't got an 9, I am really sorry..............
  15. Death
    Nov 19, 2004
    0
    This game is like hell!!! the graphics are not so good and the gameplay is..well..its no good,and who is Nathan Graves?and who are the Graves clan?what are their role with the belmonts??
  16. Demorase
    Feb 28, 2014
    10
    One of my all time favorite Gameboy Advance games, and by far my favorite 2D Castlevania game.

    What's amazing is how well the game has aged, it's still an absolute blast to play thanks to the varied Card system which makes for a great gameplay, and it's absolutely beautiful to look at thanks to the great art direction. Playing it on a modern smartphone through emulation really does    One of my all time favorite Gameboy Advance games, and by far my favorite 2D Castlevania game.

    What's amazing is how well the game has aged, it's still an absolute blast to play thanks to the varied Card system which makes for a great gameplay, and it's absolutely beautiful to look at thanks to the great art direction.

    Playing it on a modern smartphone through emulation really does the game justice and allows you appreciate how beautiful the game is. A true masterpiece.    … Expand
  17. frederik1478
    Feb 7, 2022
    5
    The problem with the game is that it is kind of mediocre and it is come after Symphony of the Night .the only thing I could think of while playing it was comparing it to Symphony of the Night is harsh. I mean it's one of the best games of all time and one of my favourite.And compared to other metroidvania games it doesn't stand out in March of any way if you grow up with the game IThe problem with the game is that it is kind of mediocre and it is come after Symphony of the Night .the only thing I could think of while playing it was comparing it to Symphony of the Night is harsh. I mean it's one of the best games of all time and one of my favourite.And compared to other metroidvania games it doesn't stand out in March of any way if you grow up with the game I completely understand this that you like it, but for me. I kind of slowly fell asleep… Expand
  18. bike7948e
    Sep 23, 2018
    10
    An absolute fantastic game. With great graphics, the genius double card system, five unique playthroughs each changing the way you do combat, and the fantastic story. This is a must have GBA game that you should definitely play
  19. tiberiotavareze
    Jan 9, 2021
    8
    My rate for this game: 8.5

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  20. Marc
    Mar 21, 2004
    9
    Dracula and the Belmonts...some of the most recognisable gaming icons in history. Thankfully...its fun too.
  21. MarkB.
    Aug 25, 2005
    9
    Very difficult game. Level of difficutly was just a bit too high and some of the features (The Summoning abilities with DSS) made the bosses too easy. Very good game otherwise. A hint to all players who play on magician mode. When you fall down that big hole in the start of the game, well, do that when you are level 50 and keep doing it while swingining you whip on the left side. There is Very difficult game. Level of difficutly was just a bit too high and some of the features (The Summoning abilities with DSS) made the bosses too easy. Very good game otherwise. A hint to all players who play on magician mode. When you fall down that big hole in the start of the game, well, do that when you are level 50 and keep doing it while swingining you whip on the left side. There is an opening and when u find it, Roc Wing at the ceiling there. Another opening will appear. In this room, you have like five seconds to jump up into the room, run to the skeleton medalist and kill him in one hit. Kepp doing this until you get it and combine pluto and griffon to get faster speed. He will sometimes drop the bear ring. And if you put it on and use pluto and Black dog cards, you will find you turn into a cute fuzzywuzzy bear!… Expand
  22. WithFieryTruth
    May 7, 2022
    0
    The battle arena ruins the entire game. I wouldn't be bothered by it if it was skippable, but you're actually forced to go through it to get a couple of cards, so there's no avoiding it for a completionist such as myself.

    To sum it up, they're expecting you to survive through 17 rooms filled with enemies constantly moving around while spamming attacks and homing projectiles at you from    The battle arena ruins the entire game. I wouldn't be bothered by it if it was skippable, but you're actually forced to go through it to get a couple of cards, so there's no avoiding it for a completionist such as myself.

    To sum it up, they're expecting you to survive through 17 rooms filled with enemies constantly moving around while spamming attacks and homing projectiles at you from all directions.
    Everything you touch hurts you, which is something the enemies abuse by running, flying and jumping right into you. They don't stop next to you to attack you in a normal manner; they're literally trying to stand in the exact same place you are to hurt you through touching, because the developers decided that programming them in such a cheap and unfair way would be fun.
    Add to this the fact that your special skills (DSS) are deactivated, there are no healing items inbetween rooms, and you need to complete the entire arena in one go (because otherwise you'll have to do it all over again). To top it off, you also need to be lucky enough for the two cards to actually drop from the enemies, or else you have to start over from room 1 and try again.

    To call this bad game design would be an insult to bad games; this is atrocious beyond words and quite possibly the worst gaming experience of my life.    … Expand
  23. AlucardWarrior
    Feb 2, 2022
    8
    Es un excelente juego que a envejecido bien, un gameplay algo tosco al principio pero cuando tienes todas las habilidades te pasearas por todo el castillo a toda velocidad a mitad de juego no es muy intuitivo hacia donde ir así que estarás dando vueltas un buen rato hasta saber a donde ir, la banda sonora es una delicia que se te quedaran grabadas. en cuanto habilidades y objetos no estaEs un excelente juego que a envejecido bien, un gameplay algo tosco al principio pero cuando tienes todas las habilidades te pasearas por todo el castillo a toda velocidad a mitad de juego no es muy intuitivo hacia donde ir así que estarás dando vueltas un buen rato hasta saber a donde ir, la banda sonora es una delicia que se te quedaran grabadas. en cuanto habilidades y objetos no esta bien implementado y solo te pondrás objetos que aumenten el ataque y la defensa y solo use una habilidad de fuego con las cartas; la historia no es la mejor de los castlevania ya que pareciera que es un spin off.… Expand
  24. gzarco
    Jan 7, 2019
    8
    One of my favorite GBA games. The card system is very fun to play with and the whole game works and has aged well. I've completed it like 5 times already and surely will do it again in the future.
  25. KrimsonKatt
    Oct 11, 2021
    4
    I wish this game was better, I really do. The DSS system is an amazing innovation and it's still another Castlevania and those are almost always good. However, this game has some massive problems. For one, the difficulty is absolutely absurd. Not in a fair but difficult way like Hollow Knight mind you, but a NES-brutal bullcrap kind of way. Enemies do absurd damage even with the bestI wish this game was better, I really do. The DSS system is an amazing innovation and it's still another Castlevania and those are almost always good. However, this game has some massive problems. For one, the difficulty is absolutely absurd. Not in a fair but difficult way like Hollow Knight mind you, but a NES-brutal bullcrap kind of way. Enemies do absurd damage even with the best equipment, healing potions are rare to non existent, save points are incredibly rare and sometimes even hard to find, enemy attacks are very difficult to dodge, every hit has insane knockback, and many more things make this a brutal and frustrating experience basically requiring save states or some sort of rewind ability. Along with that, the controls are very hard to work with unlike all future Castlevania games in this style, with running being tied to double tapping the direction keys. The only time this is actually possible consistently is when playing on a PC with a keyboard, but then it's hard to access L and R for special moves and exploration. This is made worse by the base walking speed being NES slow, making the incredibly fast paced and brutal combat encounters of this game even more difficult, not to mention you don't even have the iconic backdash in this game! Along with that, unlike other Metroidvanias, every area feels the same with many areas bleeding into each other and not feel distinct enough, not helped by the same songs playing in multiple areas making exploration difficult. Enemies also scale to progression, so late game you'll find early game areas filled to the brim with OP enemies that can kill you in like 4 hits and it's just unfair. There is also no shop to restock on items or get better gear. Everything is based on enemy drops, making progression even tougher, especially if you're unlucky and/or don't want to grind. Sub weapons, supposted to be a major mechanic, are nearly useless as nearly every one has been nerfed compared to previous games like Super Castlevania 4, Rondo of Blood, and Symphony of the Night, the only one being even slightly useful being the incredibly rare cross sub weapon, which is only really good when you run out of MP and need an alternative to your magic infused whip. (because normal whip is weak AF) Also, in game there is no bestiary for finding out what enemies drop what and where they can be found, basically requiring a guide to actually allow you to survive. Another major feature of the game besides DSS is the class system. Unfortunately, new classes are locked behind beating the game multiple times, and since this game is brutally hard in the most unfair of ways, good luck with that. You start with the hunter class, who is the base class who can do everything but excels at nothing. Beating the game with the Hunter unlocks the Fighter, who cannot use magic at all but their STR and DEF are buffed by 500%. I'm not joking. Beating Fighter Mode unlocks Wizard Mode, who has weak STR and DEF (the most important stats) but high INT (the most useless stat) and has access to all DSS cards from the beginning, which is useless because you can already access nearly every DSS card from the beginning due to an infamous glitch. Worst mode by far. If you are somehow able to beat wizard mode you unlock Thief Mode, who has incredibly low stats (even lower than wizard) but has 9999 luck, guaranteeing drops for every enemy. So basically only play Fighter once you unlock him and don't bother with the other modes, and play Hunter if it's your first time or you want to use magic. So yeah, while having some really good ideas, Circle of the Moon flops in nearly every other category. 4/10. Do not play. Even Harmony of Dissonance was better than this.… Expand
  26. P_Wings
    Aug 24, 2023
    8
    For a casual run-through, this is a great game. Each area of the map feels unique, and slowly opening up the map and conquering each area feels rewarding. The soundtrack is pretty good and each song fits the area well. The DSS is the highlight, allowing you to give your character a wide variety of buffs in the form of collectible cards which prevents the gameplay from becoming too stale.For a casual run-through, this is a great game. Each area of the map feels unique, and slowly opening up the map and conquering each area feels rewarding. The soundtrack is pretty good and each song fits the area well. The DSS is the highlight, allowing you to give your character a wide variety of buffs in the form of collectible cards which prevents the gameplay from becoming too stale.

    The main drawback: this game is awful to try to 100% complete. Though I love the DSS, the means of getting some of the cards boils down to farming a certain type of enemy till they drop the desired card. This shatters any sense of immersion as the game basically invites you to exploit the enemy spawning system. Some enemies are even hidden away in one room on the entire map. It's a shame as the system adds so much to the gameplay, but it might as well not be here if half the power ups are not accessible without a guide.

    Nonetheless, this is a great GBA title. The fact that I tried so hard to get as many of the cards as I could, despite the mundaneness of the tasks, is a testament to how good the core gameplay is.    … Expand
  27. CARLOSGAMESRX
    Feb 20, 2020
    10
    Castlevania Circle Of The Moon is a Fantastic game and my favorite metroidvania,The graphics and soundtrack are amazing,one of The best castlevania games
  28. GreatSwordOfVex
    Oct 26, 2020
    5
    This game isn't awful, but it certainly isn't very good. The general exploration and gameplay mechanics work just fine, the spell and card system is actually pretty neat and allows you to customize some of your abilities to suit your playstyle and/or the situation. However, outside of that, the game is mediocre at best.

    The controls are very stiff, and I had notable issues with some of    This game isn't awful, but it certainly isn't very good. The general exploration and gameplay mechanics work just fine, the spell and card system is actually pretty neat and allows you to customize some of your abilities to suit your playstyle and/or the situation. However, outside of that, the game is mediocre at best.

    The controls are very stiff, and I had notable issues with some of my inputs not registering. Honestly, the movement in this game just doesn't feel good, everything seems sluggish, stiff, and sometimes feels unresponsive.

    The difficulty outside of bosses is actually fine for the most part, with only a few very annoying enemies that aren't any fun to deal with. The bosses, though, the bosses are just BAD. The first third or so of the game seems fine, but once you get to about the halfway point in the game, the bosses turn into giant, slow to fight, masochistic damage sponges.

    This game is far from unplayable, but when the bosses make you want to quit playing the game every time you try and fight them until the game is over, the game isn't very good.    … Expand
  29. hector_bcn98
    Oct 31, 2022
    8
    Como primer castlevania clásico al que jugué, el disfrute fue óptimo. Los movimientos especiales no están bien explicados y yo, sinceramente, no supe utilizarlos. Alta dificultad que obliga a farmear.
  30. MMPP99
    Apr 2, 2023
    7
    Pros
    Good boss battle
    Good Soundtrack
    Decent storytelling
    Good Gameplay

    Cons
    Bad Animation
    Unbalanced difficulty
    Inferior graphics( it is inferior to other castlevania games from GBA)
    Few diverse weapons
  31. Darkspawn677
    Jun 12, 2022
    10
    Castlevania circle of moon was an amazing game but it definitely needs to be more like devil may cry, hellsing, god of war bayonetta charmed and van helsing
  32. Sparna45
    Feb 4, 2022
    10
    Best Castlevania game I played and PASSED as a kid back in 2005. The spell system is the most creative system I've ever experienced and always wished the proceeding Catlevania games would include. To count how many spells you can do by the combination of spell cards would be 100. This alone puts most games to shame. The enemies are difficult but awesome for gamers who love challenges andBest Castlevania game I played and PASSED as a kid back in 2005. The spell system is the most creative system I've ever experienced and always wished the proceeding Catlevania games would include. To count how many spells you can do by the combination of spell cards would be 100. This alone puts most games to shame. The enemies are difficult but awesome for gamers who love challenges and have patience to figure out the patterns of the enemies. The bosses are great and most likely you will die before figuring out how to beat them. The cards were a grind but didn't take too long to get. The arena map was great and challenging and rewarding. The map is pretty good and the soundtracks are better then their variants on other castlevania games. I played this game again and decided to review it after passing it and it still remains as the best Castlevania even though it isn't canon due to the hater producer not being involved in this installment. It was quick work with the strategy guide I wish I had back then but nonetheless I enjoyed it alot and gave me awesome nostalgia.… Expand
  33. Cristian-
    Sep 11, 2022
    5
    Apesar de muitas ideias boas, a execução foi ruim. Os gráficos são bons pra um game de 2001,mas o level design deixa muito a desejar, a dificuldade muitas vezes é injusta, jogabilidade lenta e o Sistema de cartas é horrível.se você usar alguns mods, ele pode sim se tornar divertido e uma boa experiência.
  34. Yojimbo2015
    Apr 27, 2023
    9
    The GBA is where Castlevania progressed from its linear platform roots and incorporated elements of Super Metroid to create the "Metroidvania" sub-genre (which seems a bit unfair on the creators of Metroid!). A big step forward in the series as far as depth of gameplay goes, but the Metroid games are still better.

Awards & Rankings

5
#5 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2001
4
#4 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2001
7
#7 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. GMR Magazine
    90
    A complex card system governs your special abilities. [Feb 2003, p.97]
  2. Thunderbolt
    60
    Castlevania means well, providing marvellous visuals and setting a superb atmosphere. But it suffers from hideous amounts of revisiting.
    Read full review
  3. GameSpot
    96
    Picks up where "Symphony of the Night" left off and stands out as one of the best portable adventures ever created.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »