• Publisher: Konami
  • Release Date: Sep 16, 2002
Metascore
87 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 27
  2. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. One of the best reasons to own a Game Boy Advance. [Feb 2003, p.97]
  2. 100
    A title that further refines the portable "Castlevania" lineup to perfection.
  3. The epitome of what a handheld title can aspire to - a game you pray as you play it will never end. [Aug 2002, p.72]
  4. 100
    One of the best handheld Castlevania games ever produced. Enthralling from start to finish, it's easily on par with "Castlevania SotN" for the PSOne. [Oct 2002, p.52]
  5. And I thought "Circle of the Moon" was good. HoD out classes it (and every other GBA game to date). Konami condensed everything that's so great about "Symphony" into a hand-held game. [Oct 2002, p.206]
  6. Harmony isn't a title any GBA owner should miss. [Oct 2002, p.94]
  7. If it weren't for the crummy music taking away from the experience, this might be the best 2D Castlevania yet. [Spring 2003, p.26]
  8. 92
    This game trounces the original in almost every way, making the adventure a much more fun and ultimately more satisfying adventure.
  9. Dissonance, in its detail, execution and style truly transcends its platform and for now, it's the best seat in the house for a trip to eerie Castlevania.
  10. You could certainly play through this game again and get a good bit of fun out of a repeat, despite the fact that it takes roughly 12 hours to beat the game.
  11. The best game for the GameBoy Advance? Absolutely.
  12. The feeling of satisfaction when everything locks together like a giant jigsaw puzzle is enormous. Despite its flaws, this is a fantastic slice of gaming.
  13. Clearer, brighter visual presentation is the biggest difference between Harmony of Dissonance and "Circle of the Moon." Although the graphical quality is pretty much the same, Konami made everything bigger and went with a brighter colour palette.
  14. It's like being able to play "Symphony of the Night" in the back seat of your parent's car, but with all new levels and some nifty new features.
  15. Valid proof that "coming up short" can still translate into "a hell of a lot of fun."
  16. 87
    Does a good job of capturing the basic flavor of "SotN's" gameplay. Indeed, almost all of the special moves you can obtain have been lifted directly from Symphony.
  17. Thankfully, the whole thing is also infinitely better-lit than previous outing Circle of the Moon, which means that playing it without industrial-strength lighting overhead is now an option. [NGC]
  18. 85
    Plays like a second rate Symphony of the Night unfortunately. Still a must though!
  19. The system is simpler, but the action is just as exciting and the areas are even larger. [Sept 2002, p.168]
  20. Boasting better visuals and lots of gameplay, Harmony of Dissonance is not just a fine Castlevania game--it's also one of the better GBA games to come around in a while.
  21. Beautiful graphics, special effects and a compelling storyline inspire the latest "Castlevania" adventure for the Game Boy Advance.
  22. A very, very good game and definitely worth a purchase. It's just a disappointment compared to the sheer greatness that was "Circle of the Moon."
  23. Not as good a game as "Circle of the Moon" when all is said and done. Yes, it's generally easier on the eyes, but the somewhat dull level layouts, constant backtracking, awful music and colorful style hamper the Castlevania experience.
  24. Falters where others have persevered, the weak link in the trio that make up the Castlevania GBA series.
  25. 70
    You'll likely beat the game in a matter of hours, and while there are some cool unlockable modes to explore afterwards, the low challenge factor is really kinda disappointing if you're a diehard fan of the series.
  26. Konami really put too much effort into "improving" the graphics engine (and ruined it in the process) while ignoring the other, possibly more important aspects of the game.
User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 19 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. SimonB.
    7
    The weak link in the GBA trilogy. If you're a big fan, then pick it up, but if you're a casual gamer I'd recommend AoS or CotM. What is most annoying is the convoluted level structure, ease of every enemy in the game (bosses are jokes) and the quality of sound is noticeably worse than in the other titles. The music reminds me a lot of Shining Force on the Genesis, but not as good. It's still a good game to kill some time with, just don't expect the same good quality of CotM or AoS. Full Review »
  2. Harmony of Dissonance is a good game, but compared to Aria of Sorrow it easily falls down in my opinion. The strongest points perhaps are the really atmospheric feel, a pretty good and intense story, and very easy control of the character. The game also introduces a system of collecting elemental spellbooks, which combined with the usual subweapons (cross, holy water, etc) give an entirely different special attack, depending on what book is equipped, giving a diverse gameplay. Similar system is later used in Castlevania: Lament of Innocence. Also the good ol' flexi-whip from Super Castlevania IV is back. You can hold the attack button and to move the whip in all the directions as opposed to only attacking forwards. The story as I mentioned is fantastic, one of the best in a Castlevania game, because it is mysterious and gets the player gripped. The atmospheric feel of the game certainly adds to that. Now where the game falls down. There are some minor issues, which can be annoying at times but aren't so bad. Those are the low difficulty, a strange glowing aura around the playable character, and also being forced to backtrack through entire stages at some points of the game. However what I disliked the most about Harmony of Dissonance was its soundtrack. Castlevania games usually have fantastic soundtracks, but I felt that this one was a real disappointment. I hardly heard any music in it, it was just a low quality noise, unfortunately. In my opinion slightly better than Circle of the Moon, but is nowhere near as good as Aria of Sorrow. Full Review »
  3. ShayT.
    10
    Don't listen to the critics: this game has a great, well designed castle and a whole lot of fun hours to spend. It's not too easy (play Pokemon if you want something maddingly easy) and it's got so much fun packed into it I dare say it is a must own for a GBA owners. Full Review »