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Castlevania (Classic NES Series)
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 10 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 5 votes
Read user comments
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Game Info
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Konami
Genre(s): Action
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: October 25, 2004
Summary
Before you can undo the curse of the evil Count, first you must battle his ghoulish army of ghosts, mummies, bats and zombies. Use your Magic Whip and other weapons if you want to make it out of the castle alive! [Nintendo]
Also On Metacritic
GAMES: Castlevania Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Castlevania: Circle of the Moon Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance Castlevania: Lament of Innocence Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Also On The Web: Official Game Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Nintendo Power
The play control is perfect, the enemy AI is well-tuned and the graphics are top-notch for the era. [Dec 2004, p.148]
Nintendojo
The character design in Castlevania brought way to a whole new viewpoint in video games. The level design is easily one of the best, bringing a deep sense of platforming to the action. After over 15 years, the game still has a unique look.
Read Full Review >IGN
Even with the limited save feature, Castlevania on the GBA is still a great retro throwback. It would have better fit as an unlockable in an original Castlevania, but as it stands it's the only official way you can have the original game in portable form. It's the best game of the second batch, by far.
Read Full Review >GameCube Advanced
All things considered Castlevania holds up extrememly well dispite its age. The level design is great, and the overall experience of fighting the undead is not so much different then modern games.
Read Full Review >Play Magazine
The music is still awesome. I want "Contra" next! [Dec 2004, p.100]
GameSpot
This is a well-produced port of an excellent game, and even though it probably would have been better served as part of a collection than as a stand-alone product, you could certainly find a number of worse ways to spend $20 for your GBA.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
Due to the enduring and challenging gameplay, Castlevania is certainly worthy of a purchase since it's doubtful an average gamer will complete it in a day or two.
GamerFeed
The 8-bit classic has aged gracefully, and while its graphics don't compare to the more modern Castlevania games, the gameplay is still very solid, and is something fans will definitely want to sink their teeth into.
Read Full Review >1UP
It's a short quest, but while it lasts it's a genuine challenge that promises to kick you in the pants and make you like it.
Read Full Review >Armchair Empire
It’s unfortunate that the simple gameplay hasn’t held up well over the years, because most of the fun here is had through shear nostalgia (whipping candles, etc).
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
William T. gave it a5:
A good game but let down by some constantly frustrating (in my opinion) controls and bland graphics.
Matt C. gave it a10:
The game and music are awesome, this classic has deffinetly stood the test of time. game play is great, once you star you will find it very hard to put it down, awesome playability and great for a challenge.
Ben Van D. gave it a10:
Castlevania is one of the best games i have ever played. Your character levels, you get new weapons and capabilities, it is real time not turn based, overall game play is unbelievably enjoyable.
AB gave it a 9:
This is the second best game in the Classic NES series. I've been playing it since it came out! The only problem is the ugly graphics.
