Castlevania Anniversary Collection

 Xbox One
Castlevania Anniversary Collection Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

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  • Summary: Classics that defined the Castlevania series.

    This KONAMI Castlevania Collection is designed to be a collection around the origins of the historic franchise. Included is a unique eBook that has details provided by developers, artists and other inspired by the Castlevania legacy. Released as    Classics that defined the Castlevania series.

    This KONAMI Castlevania Collection is designed to be a collection around the origins of the historic franchise.
    Included is a unique eBook that has details provided by developers, artists and other inspired by the Castlevania legacy.
    Released as part of the KONAMI 50th Anniversary celebration, now the best time to relive these timeless classics that helped define the platformer genre.

    Game List:

    Castlevania (1987/US, 1988/EU)
    Enter At Your Own Risk! If you think it's scary on the outside, wait till you see the basement.
    You're in for the longest night of your life. Ghosts, goblins, demons, wolves, bats creatures lurking around every corner. Better pick up a weapon or two, because when you finally meet the Count, you know he'll be going for the jugular.

    Castlevania Simon's Quest1988/US, 1990/EU) NES
    This title tells the tale of Simon's subsequent adventures following the events in Castlevania.
    Unlike the previous installment, this one was developed as an action RPG. It maintains the action elements of its predecessor but mainly focuses on exploration and puzzle solving within a far more expansive game world.

    Castlevania Dracula's Curse (1990/US, 1992/EU) NES
    Led by the immortal Count Dracula, the greatest army of evil ever assembled is poised to bury mankind in a tomb of terror. Destroying His legions will be the supreme challenge for the mightiest warrior.
    100 years before Simon Belmont's birth, Dracula is young at heart and it will take more than a stake to penetrate his evil. Luckily, you command the role of Trevor - Simon's forefather and the original vampire slayer.

    Super Castlevania (1991/US, 1992/EU) SNES
    A century of Transylvanian tranquility is about to come to a shocking end. Once again the mortifying screams of helpless villagers shake the ground as they shrink from new horrors unleashed by the Duke of Darkness, Count Dracula. And this time he has a tombstone with your name on it, Simon Belmont.

    Castlevania The Adventure (1989/US, 1991/EU) GB
    This is the first title in the series to be released on the Game Boy handheld game console.
    The variety of power-ups available for the whip added depth to the strategy of the gameplay.

    Castlevania Belmont's Revenge (1991/US, 1992/EU) GB
    Fifteen years after vanquishing the evil Count Dracula, Christopher Belmont now faces a vampire swearing vengeance. Drac's back. And he's turned your son, Soleil Belmont, into a deadly demon to do his dirty deeds. To rescue him from the Count's clutches, you must first track him down through four creep packed castles.

    Castlevania Bloodlines (1994) GEN
    Unlike the medieval setting of the other titles, this installment takes place during World War I. It introduces new elements to the series, such as the ability to choose one of two characters when starting the game.
    Huge bosses with dynamic, multi-jointed limbs that move erratically are just one of the many examples of the cutting-edge effects the game had for the time.

    Kid Dracula (1990/Japan exclusive) NES
    With its laugh-inducing content and world full of gags, this spinoff is unlike anything else in the series. Players take control of Dracula's son (or so he says...), Kid Dracula, as he goes on a hilarious adventure filled with laughs that also satisfies as a full-fledged action game.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. Worth Playing
    Jul 30, 2019
    85
    Playing through the games on offer in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection is somewhat like opening a time capsule. Those old enough to remember the original releases of these titles will enjoy going through them again, while players who grew up on PlayStation and Xbox get to enjoy these classics as they were meant to be played. Either way, there is plenty of value here for your gaming dollar.
  2. SomosXbox
    May 26, 2019
    80
    Castlevania Anniversary Collection gives us the perfect chance to know better one of Konami's most important sagas. Despite some games not being barely playable and being a short collection, others like Super Castlevania IV will prove that good games will always be treasures. Give it a chance and get into Dracula's castle. You won't be disappointed.
  3. GameSpew
    May 17, 2019
    80
    As retro collections go, Castlevania Anniversary Collection doesn’t impress with its features, but the games themselves pick up the slack. Buy this, and you’ll be in classic vampire-killing heaven.
  4. ZTGD
    May 28, 2019
    80
    This collection is a solid offering with a few setbacks. These can be patched in for sure – please let us remap buttons on all collections going forward. Still for those with nostalgia for the Belmont’s this collection is a must own for the price. It offers up a little of everything in the early history of the series. Now about that GBA collection of titles…
  5. TheXboxHub
    Jun 7, 2019
    80
    Some game elements haven’t aged too well, but they are in the minority here, and there’s no finer way to experience how the historic franchise began than by spending time with the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.
  6. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Aug 8, 2019
    80
    The NES trilogy and 16-bit sequels are still hugely challenging and worth a look. [Issue#179, p.90]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. Xbox Tavern
    May 18, 2019
    75
    Despite that these games have aged about as well as leather in a desert, and overlooking a few omissions, Konami’s Castlevania Anniversary Collection is well worth the investment if you’re a fan of the series, or, are curious about the franchise’s roots. Throw in the fact that this compilation will soon see the addition of the Japanese versions for each title included, picking this up truly is a no brainer.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Steyraus
    Feb 3, 2021
    10
    An Amazing collection of amazing games.. There is different emulation on the PS4 version though which I prefer because the Xbox version onlyAn Amazing collection of amazing games.. There is different emulation on the PS4 version though which I prefer because the Xbox version only uses a square in the middle of the screen while the Ps4 version fills the whole screen . Although The Game boy games are emulated better on the Xbox tbey are actually really awsome, it looks like a real og gamesboy screen, while the ps4 version look like a green screen with squares pasted over the top. Xbox collevtion is worth a second buy imo. But i have alot of naustalgia for those games.… Expand
  2. Xbox_Alive
    May 19, 2019
    9
    Castlevania Anniversary Collection is an absolute treat to fans of the franchise and a look into its retro roots. The presentation interfaceCastlevania Anniversary Collection is an absolute treat to fans of the franchise and a look into its retro roots. The presentation interface is simple and fits perfect for the offerings on the table and many screen and even color option on the gameboy games. These retro offerings still offer you charm in both the visuals and sound design as they are emulated to near perfection to include the flicker from the days of the NES. The Castlevania franchise has delivered countless memories to me over the years and it's one of my favorite classic collections released to date. Castlevania Anniversary Collection had me elated from the moment I first heard of its pending release and I could hardly wait for its arrival. My nostalgia began immediately after starting the game, as it also features 8 amazing games for you to play one only previously released in Japan before now available worldwide so many years later. Some of the games have aged better than others but this didn’t stop each one from being what I remembered, I remembered them differently and nothings changed in this collection. If you don’t know much about the collection, you can find details of many things relative to them thanks to the Bonus Book feature which is once again a fantastic addition by Konami. Castlevania Anniversary Collection is an absolutely a great value for your money and if you’re a fan of Castlevania this collection will no doubt be a must buy for your Xbox One library. Castlevania Anniversary Collection been emulated brilliantly and playing these memorable games again desite owning the originals, had me enjoying them in my recliner for so many hours with scaliness enabled of course. Excellent Konami, simply excellent.… Expand
  4. djshep1973
    May 17, 2019
    8
    Perfect emulation, presented with tasteful menus and theme music, make for a superb retro-themed collection of some of the older entries toPerfect emulation, presented with tasteful menus and theme music, make for a superb retro-themed collection of some of the older entries to the Castlevania canon. There are three NES titles, the sublime SNES entry, two Gameboy editions and the famous MegaDrive game too - along with a bonus title that has never previously been published in the West.

    This collection doesn’t include the much-requested PCE or PSX / Saturn games, or any of the ‘Metroidvania’ sequels, though it should be noted that Konami have hinted at releasing a further collection at another time; maybe that will include games from later on in the series - nothing has been announced yet, regarding this.

    However, if you are a fan of at least a couple of the older games, then I’d say this collection presents very good value, with eight games in total, and a digital book detailing some of the history and anecdotes, rounding off the package.    … Expand
  5. humunguschungus
    May 20, 2019
    7
    Although this collection serves as a great tool for newcomers to the series, it ultimately does not have the features (or the games) to pleaseAlthough this collection serves as a great tool for newcomers to the series, it ultimately does not have the features (or the games) to please hardcore fans. The presentation itself and user interface mostly look and function fairly well. One annoyance is that the game does not have support for custom controller mappings, which can be annoying as the controls change with some games (notably Castlevania 4) this makes jumping from game to game a little more obtrusive than it should be. The digital book included with the collection is interesting, but nonetheless the game suffers greatly from not including titles such as Rondo of Blood of Symphony of the Knight. Still, the games themselves have aged well for the most part, but I doubt many modern games would appreciate them due to their notorious difficulty that is at times borderline hilarious. Overall this collection is a mixed bag, I doubt many longtime fans such as myself will be greatly pleased, but then again seeing any life from this franchise is ultimately a good thing in my book.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Best Xbox One Game of 2019