In 1986 Konami released a game by the name of Vampire Killer, for the MSX, and this began the chain of events that that bring us to this game Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. For most of us, the game started out in 1987 on the NES with the release of Castlevania. The original Castlevania captured the hearts of many, because in that time it was a dynamic new game, with great music, and memorable boss battles. It was even such a great game, that it was re-released on the GBA, as part of their classics series.

In Castlevania II, we were treated to a different style of game, where time passed and day could become night. Enemies would be much easier to defeat in the day than night, which added considerably to the difficulty depending how you played. In the third game, different characters were introduced, which allowed you to change into different people. Each of these people had different abilities, and depending on whom you used, it could make a huge difference. In the forth Castlevania, now for the Super Nintendo, they allowed you to throw your whip in different directions. As you can tell with each of these incarnations something new was added, and it was generally for the best. While not each addition was well received, the games were still good enough to call for another sequel. This seems to be a series that will never die, and I am very thankful for that.

Eventually the series was lead to the first Castlevania game on the DS. It has only been a year since the eclipse of 2035, and the game continues from the storyline of Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow. Dracula appears to be gone for good, but in his death, his evil and power have been re-released onto the world. It appears when an evil is rubbed out of existence, their energy flows into another, and this is where you start off. A cult wishing to resurrect the Dark Lord is in play, and is gathering the potentials for the throne. The leader of this cult, Celia, creates demons in hopes of killing the hero -- Soma from the last game -- so that they can have a good chance of succeeding.

Soma vanquishes these demons, and then rediscovers his powers from the last game. His powers are to absorb the souls of the enemies he has defeats. He is then able use that power to achieve his goals, and use them against other foes. It appeared his power had never left him, and all it took for him to rediscover them was for those close to him to be in danger. With the threat of a new evil returning to the world, Soma simply does not have the heart to allow this. He gathers the information he needs, and heads off to the castle that the cult occupies, and to put an end to this -- hopefully -- for good.

The game runs like a standard platformer, as there are many levels for you to jump and explore. This is -- of course -- a staple of the Castlevania series, so what else could you expect? There are different paths you can take, and on occasion you can even choose the order of bosses. The game promises one of the largest areas to explore over previous games, and it certainly delivers. This game will take quite a few hours to beat, but even more to explore, and while tedious at times you will enjoy it. Each and every background looks beautiful, and they suit each other. A nice feature is that you can sit in any chair you walk past, which does not accomplish much, but it is rather cool.

Graphically this is not a huge jump over the GBA version -- Aria Of Sorrow -- but it surprises you every once in a while. There are little things like when you are standing outside you can see your warm breath in the ice-cold air. Also the backgrounds seem to have a 3D feel to them, as if you could interact with them at any time. What has been greatly improved is the music, as it pulls you in even more. The music is deep, and it is a fantastic addition as it significantly adds to the tone of the game. Even the little clips of laughter are great.

You gain experience in this game, and with that you gain levels. Your magic and your other abilities will be heavily monitored by what level you are on, especially when it comes to that magic consumption. Weapon wise, your level will not heavily affect the damage you do. Speaking of the equipment, there are many different weapons you will be able to use. You can use things like swords and daggers, to boomerangs and guns. Each will have their different attack type, and even their own special attack move.

Your screens are divided between two things, maps/statistics and battle. The top one displays the map of the castle, or the statistics of your character, and the most recent enemy you have battled. The information about the enemy also tells you about what items they drop, as long as you have collected at least one from them. This screen will also display what they are weak and strong to. More importantly the screen tells you how many of their souls you have collected, which will tell you if you should continue killing them, or to round up their friend’s souls.

The bottom screen is where the action goes on. This is where you can use your stylus to draw the magical seals you need to finish the bosses, where you will then absorb their power. You will need to draw the seals, or else you will not be able to defeat the boss. If you panic during the battle and mess it up, it will give the boss back half their life. Also the stylus will be used to shatter ice blocks, which will allow you to progress later through the game.

You will get different abilities from the enemies you kill, as you absorb their soul from their bodies. Having their souls will allow you to perform their abilities. Certain souls will take longer to learn from an enemy, so you will need to kill them multiple times before you get it. It is more set up by percentages/rarities, as I went through and killed around 200 of the same enemy, and they still did not release their soul to me, but another I only killed once and I gained it.