Castlevania Dominus Collection

A collection of some of the best metroidvanias in one package, this is a definite recommendation to both fans and newcomers. Though some minor issues hamper it a bit, they are severely outnumbered by the good.

Bundling together three classic metroidvania format Castlevania titles originally released on the Nintendo DS, the Castlevania Dominus Collection presents excellent value for money. And with various extras thrown into the mix including art and music galleries and a remake of arcade game Haunted Castle, it's a must-have for series fans.

Castlevania Dominus Collection almost flawlessly brings back a collection of games that were previously trapped on hardware that was tough to bring to new platforms. Extensive effort has gone into making sure that they suit the form factor of a home console and the effort is admirable to say the least. Some incredibly mild and brief frustrations with the remaining touch controls isn't enough to properly dethrone this game from being essential for Castlevania fans to invest in, especially with the deep cuts included here.

Castlevania Dominus Collection is a solid compilation that brings three exemplary classics out of their DS dungeon, and it’s a must-play for any Metroidvania fan.

With gorgeous pixel graphics, weapon builds to learn, and enemy designs that continually delight, plus some excellent maps to explore and uncover, this is a fantastic little collection that should please any Metroidvania fan. That each adventure is a little more digestible compared to 25-hour epics from recent times is an added bonus.

Three of the best Castlevania games in one unmissable package, jam-packed with extras and a bonus game that isn't exactly the best but... it's a bonus so we gladly keep it. Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia, each of these games brought unique features to classic Castlevania gameplay and they are all still extremely enjoyable today.

Castlevania Dominus Collection is not only a great collection of games, but also an impressive technical feat of bringing games designed for Nintendo DS hardware to modern platforms. Haunted Castle Revisited is the main attraction of this collection, but it's a standout surprise. An old arcade title that was not well liked or discussed got completely remade and ended up being a good game. For Castlevania fans, the DS titles are all must-play games and M2 went to great lengths to ensure those games remained exceptional on modern hardware. Retro game compilations are standard these days, but between the caliber of games included and effort and making sure they run as well as they do, this is one of the best collections available.

Konami decided to unearth 3 of its most valuable jewels and make them available to us in a single package. M2 was the studio in charge of making the necessary adjustments so that the games are optimally adapted to the new platforms. Thus we can enjoy an experience almost identical to the original and even some improvements. Castlevania Dominus Collection is one of the best collections to date that also includes valuable and interesting extras.

If you’re a Castlevania fan chances are you snapped up the Dominus collection as soon as it shadow-dropped. If you missed these classics the first time and are looking for a pure-blooded Metroidvania to sink your teeth into, Castlevania The Dominus Collection is one package I highly recommend.

So, yes, Igarashi is a genius, and the brilliance of his Castlevania games still holds up. Is this collection perfect? No. Each game has different flaws, and there are some minor issues with the overall presentation. Nonetheless, the DS trilogy in the Castlevania Dominus Collection are all clean, tight experiences with just enough experimentation to make each of them excellent and unique, even in a market flooded with Metroidvanias. Put simply, even 16 years later, Castlevania is still a genre giant.

Bringing together three of the best metroidvanias of the past, with plenty of extras and some quality of life features, Castlevania Dominus Collection fulfills its role of preservation, of elegant presentation for a new audience and, of course, of fun.