Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

Classic "Rondo" alone would be a great budget title for virgin Western audiences; adding a remake and "Symphony" turns this into a no-brainer. [Nov 2007, p.120]

With this UMD, you get a wonderful piece of history and two of the best action adventures ever programmed. [Nov 2007, p.82]

If you own a PSP, there is no excuse for you to not own this title. [Nov 2007, p.95]

But what really got me taking momentary breaks from the action was coming to the realization of just how much I miss this type of Castlevania game.

The Dracula X Chronicles isn't a perfect compilation; the original games suffer from some nagging issues, and the remakes aren't an across-the-board improvement. Even so, it would be a must-play for fans of classic action games even without its historical significance. As it is, fans of action games should play it simply because it plays well; fans of Castlevania should add it to their collections immediately and never let it go.

Sure, the 3D remake's a bit lukewarm, but that's only the appetizer. The main course? Two of the greatest exercises in virtual vampire slaying the world has yet seen. We'll pay $30 for that, no problem.

Besides the difficulty and somewhat finicky jumping mechanics, it’s an impressive game with a lot going for it. And if you're new to the series, this compilation may be even more worth your attention because of its strong components. Just remember the nature of the challenge, because things can get real tricky, real fast.

The real prize, though, are the game's unlockable goodies -- an improved version of the original Rondo of Blood and the best version of Symphony of the Night to date. For a $30 compilation bursting with content, Castlevania doesn't suck.

Taken together, the three games included in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles make up a compelling package.

The gameplay is challenging and interesting, the content is varied and encompasses two full games, and the attention to detail is great.

Castlevania has never had more content packed in than it does right here, taking what many consider the two greatest games in the series and including more dialogue, more playable characters, and other nice little extras, and throwing them into a nice, convenient, must-own $30 package.

A must-buy in every sense of the phrase. A high challenge level, two games for the price of one and some very rewarding unlockables make this one of the best PSP games to date.

The Dracula X Chronicles is simply a great package for old school Castlevania fans and newcomers alike.

Between Rondo of Blood, its beautiful 3D remake and its legendary sequel, there's a lot of quality gaming here.

Castlevania fans will certainly find a lot to love about The Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP and, while the different versions of these classics are still too hard, these classics are just way too good to pass up.

For anyone else who may wonder what the hubbub is all about, if you have the patience to endure many levels repeatedly in an old school side scrolling fashion, then this is a great start for you. Nevertheless, this game fills in the gaps and tells the tale before the greatest Castlevania title of all time, and includes it in the package to boot.

From the moment you power on your PSP to the moment you turn it off, Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles does a remarkable job of pulling you into the Castlevania universe and immersing you in the difficult, but ultimately rewarding gameplay.

The only problems lie in some load issues and poor hit detection -- while serious, they don't hinder gameplay completely. It just gives you something to blame all your suckiness on.

As a game, the remake of Rondo of Blood would have been a worthwhile purchase through Live arcade. As a collection, the Dracula X Chronicles is a fine example of how to compile a package.

A smart package of everything good about the series down to the last crumb of skeleton dust.

Or if you are the one reading right now and you like Castlevania and have always wanted to see what the fuss was about for Rondo of Blood, then this is a great game to go check out, I would highly recommend it.

This is some of the best 2D platforming to ever be released.

In Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, Konami has finally brought the original Dracula X to North America and gave it a 2.5 D update that will have a ton of Castlevania junkies clamoring for more of the same.

A treat for fans of side-scrolling adventures - provided they have the stomach for the slog. [Mar 2008, p.72]

If you enjoy some side scrolling adventuring action and consider yourself a hardcore gamer then you should consider picking this up as well.

Despite some questionable design and admin decisions, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is one of the best retro gaming compilations that you'll ever find, though casuals need not apply.

But the fact that it is no more than an aesthetic update hurts. [Issue#163, p.82]

This Castlevania on PSP is a gem for fans of the franchise. It includes a previously unreleased version out of Japan, but above all the remake, packed with quality.

A simple, yet timeless addition to any collection.