The Castlevania series is one of the longest running side-scrolling action/adventure series and has been found on a number of home consoles.  I played the first game in the series on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) when it was first released but it wasn't until its sequel a year or so later, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, that I was really hooked.  I've had the chance to play pretty much every game in the series except for one game.  For years I have wanted to play the 1993 installment, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, which never made it out of Japan and was exclusive to the PC Engine Super CD-Rom² console.  So when I heard that it was going to be released on a compilation exclusive to the Sony PlayStation Portable, I was excited.

Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles features an updated/remade version of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.  The game is pretty much the same game with the exception of updated graphics and a new soundtrack.  The original game was innovative for its time because it featured a fully orchestrated music score as well as actual voice-overs during key sequences.  It also featured an anime opening cinema.

The game features pretty much the same whip-cracking, side-scrolling action that the series is known for.  You assume the role of Richter Belmont, Vampire Slayer.  The Belmont Family is a long line of "Van Helsing-like" vampire hunters who will not rest until Dracula is finished off once and for all.  They have been battling Dracula for years.  In your quest to destroy Dracula, you must make your way through his castle called "Castlevania" and fight his minions.  They range from bats to skeletons to massive bosses like the giant Minotaur and even the Grim Reaper himself.  The game also features the ability to switch characters after rescuing a girl named Maria.  You have the ability to play through the game with her.  The levels are massive and feature many different paths you can take to get to the next one.  Almost every level has two different "paths" you can take which leads you to a different boss.  Depending on what "path" you take you will start the next level differently.  There are also several "side-quests" you can take which consist of rescuing other girls who have been kidnapped by Dracula.  Completing these quests unlock various things in the game.  When you beat the various bosses in the game, they appear in another mode called, Boss Rush Mode which allows you to fight the bosses either solo or in a co-op mode via the PlayStation Portable Wi-Fi feature.

The control scheme seems to fit the PSP just fine.  In keeping with the traditional of the original game, movement is controlled by the D-Pad instead of the Analog Stick, which is fine with me because the D-Pad just feels more natural when it comes to side-scrolling action and adventure games.  Running, jumping, and cracking the whip feels like it did 20+ years ago, except now the controls are a little smoother feeling and more responsive.

You are able to unlock the original/untouched 1993 version of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood as well as the ultra-popular 1997 Sony PlayStation game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.  Other than a control scheme adapted for the PSP, each game is intact and untouched when compared to their original versions.  This port of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night plays a little clunky compared to the original version as well as having longer load times.  Both Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night have the option of playing the games in their original "full screen" ratio or stretching them to a widescreen ratio that fits the screen of the PSP.  Stretching the graphics is not recommended in my opinion because it distorts the characters and images in the games.  I just leave the aspect ratio option alone.

The graphics for the updated version is very good in terms of side-scrolling action games.  The backgrounds are rendered very well and feature three-dimensional looking animations.  The updated graphics are crisp and highly detailed.  The opening cinema has been "reVamped" and features a fully computer generated intro verses the original anime intro.  I thought I was watching a movie when I first turned on the game.  The intro features a nude female (she does have a sheet draped over her) being sacrificed by a group of Dracula's followers.  She is lying on top of Dracula's coffin and they stab her with a sword.  The sword goes straight through her as well as Dracula's coffin and her blood runs down the sword...and well you get the picture.  He is then resurrected.

Of course no Castlevania game would be complete without an adventurous soundtrack to get the "blood flowing".  At times the music can be eerie, but for the most part it's pretty upbeat like most the games in the series.  The orchestrated soundtrack fits the theme of hacking-and-slashing Dracula's minions. Konami did a better job in updating the soundtrack than most companies do when they remake games.  And like the original version of the game, this one features voice-overs during key sequences.  Sometimes the dialog can be "over-the-top" and dramatic, but it really doesn't affect the play or mood of the game in a negative way.  As you play the game you have the ability to unlock the various musical pieces for listening in the menu.  Hidden through the game are "records" that unlock the original/updated/remixed tunes.

If you are a fan of the Castlevania series or just like to play "good" side-scrolling action/adventure games, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles is one you should add to your collection.  It's a wonder that Konami took so long to release one of the best games in the series.  Until Konami releases a decent installment on a home console, this "portable" version will have to hold us over.  I think that Konami needs to ditch the idea of making a "3D" version of Castlevania and stick with just making a solid side-scrolling game.  Every game doesn't have to be 3 Dimensional.
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 [TITLE]
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles

[PLATFORM]
Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP)

[DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER]
Konami/Konami

[YEAR of RELEASE]
2007

[GENRE]
Action/Adventure

[ESRB RATING]
T for Teen
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© Copyright 2009 Chris_Billings

Recommended: Yes