Overview

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Review

Release Date: 05.06.2003
Platform: Game Boy Advance
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo
Publisher: Konami of America, Inc.

Reviewed by Christian Kontul on 5.11.2003

Review Rating: 10/10

User Rating: 8.82/10

Overused cliché or not, the third time is a charm for Castlevania on Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance. With three games released in just under three years, it’s not outrageous to think that Konami might be overdoing it a bit with one of their most beloved series. Though sales have been brisk (without a question the reason for so many sequels), previous portable installments have steadily lost the engaging qualities their basis, the legendary Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, demonstrated so brilliantly on the PlayStation; Konami Kobe’s Circle of the Moon stood solid amidst dark, simplistic graphics and unbalanced gameplay; Harmony of Dissonance, from the makers of SotN, hid sloppy design with graphical prowess.

But that all changes with Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. Any fears of series stagnancy or hardware limitations will vanish soon after turning on the GBA. Upon starting a new game, folks who have sat through any of Konami’s three previous original Castlevania games (consequently excluding Chronicles) will sense more than a few similarities; very strange, considering AoS is set in 2035 Tokyo. But even though it doesn’t take advantage of its neo-modern setting, don’t give up! There’s so much about Aria of Sorrow that’s new and enjoyable, no one should pass it by.

The most significant addition is a soul collection system. Called Tactical Souls, Soma Cruz, Aria of Sorrow’s leading hunk, can gather abilities by killing enemies and absorbing their essences. There are over 100 souls in the game, and monsters randomly drop them. Some are more difficult to get if their “owners” are stronger or give better skills, but by building levels and equipping items to get a higher luck attribute, Soma has a better chance of gathering them all.

Aria of Sorrow’s Tactical Souls System perfectly compliments the mix of action and Metroid-style exploration. Observing foes, seeing their moves, earning them, then trying them out is incredibly fun. AoS includes four different kinds of souls: Bullet Souls (colored red) allow Soma to attack with spells and items that require magic points; Guardian Souls (blue) enact a lasting effect, like a magical shield or transformation (Soma can morph into a bat or massive demons, for instance), which steadily eat away MP; Enchanted Souls (yellow) provide Soma with an ongoing skill, whether its an increase in strength of a talent to ascertain breakable walls, without requiring magic; Ability Souls (gray) bestow Soma with special powers (sliding, dashing, double jumping, etc.).

Here’s the kicker: of the four, only Ability Souls are constantly active. The player has to equip Soma with the others, and only one of each shade can be “turned on” at a time. And that’s key, because it opens up tons of customization options. Aria of Sorrow features an expertly crafted castle with no mindless, misleading passages or redundant design. Instead, the halls of Dracula’s mansion beg to be explored. The Tactical Souls can be used to solve puzzles or make travel much easier, so it’s important to try everything to see what benefits they afford. Boss battles in Aria of Sorrow are also epic and oftentimes challenging; coming up with a slick combination of souls can make a tough brawl more doable. Though, with over 100 total in the game, there are bound to be some abilities that aren’t particularly useful but they never impair what is the best gameplay system implemented in any Castlevania game to this point.

It’s not surprising that Koji Igarashi and his crew at Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo have produced such a fine game. Well, it is to a degree, given the abovementioned decline in quality. However, the most astonishing thing about Aria of Sorrow is its phenomenal story with a beautiful cast of characters. Things start appropriately enough. Soma Cruz, a foreign exchange student living in Japan, is on his way to the Hakuba Temple to watch the first solar eclipse of the 21st century with his friend, Mina. As soon as he arrives at the place of worship, just as the shadow covers the sun’s rays, the protagonist falls unconscious and wakes up in a mysterious castle. For the safety of Mina, himself, and perhaps the world, Soma has to get to the bottom of things to return home.

The setup sounds generic enough, and there’s no question that the writers took this into account when scripting Aria of Sorrow. If you’re unfamiliar with the Castlevania series, know that these games have never been known for their superlative narratives. Most of the time, it’s rather easy to determine the end result prior to reading the instruction manual. AoS plays off of this tradition by presenting the player with several situations that seem awfully familiar, but are significantly different than they assume. It’s an exceptionally engaging set of events, which will have fanboys and newbies laughing with joy when the picture becomes clear.

You may find it hard to believe, but Aria of Sorrow does for Symphony of the Night what Metroid Fusion did for Super Metroid. It takes an absolutely wonderful game, a timeless classic, and makes it better. For sure, some elements, like the music or animation, can’t match the brilliance found in its console counterpart, but everyone knows that graphics and sound aren’t what’s essential to a brilliant gaming experience. If they are somewhat important to you, don’t be afraid to invest in AoS; for a Game Boy Advance title, it sports fine duds and spouts great tunes. All the humans and monsters show off smooth animations and the backgrounds showcase depth, variety, and color. The soundtrack has been significantly improved over prior portable versions, with high-quality songs ideally setting the mood.

Yet even if Konami managed to replicate Symphony of the Night’s gothic melodies and fluid sprites in handheld form, it wouldn’t mean anything if the game didn’t play well; Harmony of Dissonance was proof of that, to an extent. Appropriately, for a title about absorbing souls, Aria of Sorrow packs plenty of soul. The thought and love that went into its making are readily perceptible at every point. Gameplay isn’t just solid; it’s polished to a blinding sheen. Control is tight and responsive. There’s not enough for any one person to say about Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow that can properly do it justice. It’s a genuine classic, a Castlevania enthusiast’s dream, and one of the best portable games ever made. Don’t miss it, even if it means fighting Dracula himself.

Box art