Castlevania Anniversary Collection

81%
Game Brain Score Based on 873 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • story
Castlevania Anniversary Collection Game Cover
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The "Castlevania Anniversary Collection" is a compilation of classic Castlevania games, including the original Castlevania, Simon's Quest, Dracula's Curse, Super Castlevania IV, and others. It also includes an eBook with behind-the-scenes details and anecdotes about the development of the games. This collection is a must-play for fans of the series and provides a comprehensive overview of the franchise's history.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

81%
Audience ScoreBased on 873 reviews
music54 positive mentions
stability20 negative mentions
  • Great collection of classic Castlevania games, including some that were never released outside Japan.
  • Save states and the ability to play Japanese versions of the games enhance the experience.
  • Nostalgic trip for fans, with excellent music and gameplay that holds up well.
  • Poor emulation quality with audio issues, including crackling and distortion.
  • Lack of options for controller remapping and no way to exit the game without closing the window.
  • Missing key titles like Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night, making the collection feel incomplete.
  • music103 mentions

    The music in the Castlevania collection is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its iconic soundtracks that enhance the gameplay experience. While some users noted technical issues like audio glitches and choppy sound quality, the overall sentiment is that the music remains a standout feature, with tracks from various titles being described as "bangers" and "phenomenal." Many fans express a desire for the inclusion of Japanese versions of the games, which are believed to offer superior soundtracks.

    • “The music, which has always been a standout feature of the series, has been beautifully preserved and enhanced, making each stage feel as epic as ever.”
    • “The soundtrack is a banger; this one has the most great tracks of these 8 games.”
    • “The music is just wonderful in most of the games.”
    • “Numerous visual glitches and it genuinely looks terrible with awful letterboxing and sparse graphical options, the audio itself is even worse, playing Super Castlevania IV and music tracks have terrible popping and breaks in them every few seconds, requested a refund almost immediately.”
    • “Every time that music plays, annoying static buzzing, popping and beeping sounds are coming from my headphones, specifically the left side, and while it's something I suppose I could get used to, it's very hard to enjoy games when I'm constantly having static crunching and buzzing that continually hits my ears.”
    • “Can't recommend this game collection at all if it's a continuing problem...if this issue can be fixed, I will turn my review around, but until then, it stands as a game I cannot recommend simply because the audio, an integral part of these games because of the music, is bugged to hell.”
  • graphics58 mentions

    The graphics of the collection are a mixed bag, with many praising the pixel art and nostalgic charm of titles like "Bloodlines" and "Super Castlevania IV," which showcase impressive visuals for their time. However, several users report issues such as character visibility problems, visual glitches, and a lack of modern graphical enhancements, leading to frustration. Overall, while the art style and historical artwork are appreciated, the execution in terms of optimization and graphical fidelity on modern platforms leaves much to be desired.

    • “The visuals are absolutely stunning; these are pixel graphics at their absolute peak.”
    • “The pixel graphic/art style of each of the games is very good, from the simple 8-bit of the NES and Game Boy graphics to well-detailed games like Super Castlevania 4 and Castlevania Bloodlines.”
    • “The artwork is beautiful, arguably better than Super Castlevania IV, with new directions and gimmicks this game took, such as water reflections and a room where the screen seems to be broken into four segments.”
    • “The graphics especially suffer from the character disappearing on screen, which has obvious implications.”
    • “Numerous visual glitches and it genuinely looks terrible with awful letterboxing and sparse graphical options; the audio itself is even worse, playing Super Castlevania IV and music tracks have terrible popping and breaks in them every few seconds. I requested a refund almost immediately.”
    • “The modern graphics on today's PCs do expose some graphical limitations of the originals (especially on the NES games), so they actually look a little worse at times.”
  • story49 mentions

    The story of "Castlevania II: Simon's Quest" is often described as cryptic and convoluted, making it difficult for players to progress without a guide. While some appreciate the game's attempt at a more open-world structure and RPG elements, many find the narrative and gameplay frustratingly tedious, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. Despite its flaws, the game is noted for laying groundwork for future entries in the series, with a storyline that connects multiple protagonists across generations in their battle against Dracula.

    • “Castlevania II: Simon's Quest eschews the linear structure of the original game for a much more open world that foretells the direction the series would take starting with Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.”
    • “Their storyline is epic, because there are multiple protagonists who are connected through bloodline over centuries, and who have to defeat a common enemy.”
    • “The bonus book is really neat with interviews and a chronological order of the story in the games.”
    • “Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is cryptic, but it's much easier in terms of gameplay, introduces RPG elements, and boasts one of the earliest day-night cycles in the medium.”
    • “Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - a terrible game but at least an interesting one; it plays quite differently from the other games, but it's nearly impossible to find where to go without a guide due to the cryptic dialogue and lack of directions.”
    • “Castlevania II: Simon's Quest is awful if you don't have the Simon's Quest guide, and the bosses are just absolutely horrible; you can skip this game if you want and just read up on the story for it.”
  • gameplay40 mentions

    The gameplay across the Castlevania series is described as a mixed bag, with some titles offering solid mechanics and enjoyable experiences, while others suffer from slow controls, confusing map designs, and tedious gameplay loops. Notably, "Bloodlines" is praised for its unique mechanics and character pathways, making it a standout despite its difficulty, while other entries like "Simon's Quest" and "Dracula's Curse" are criticized for their frustrating elements and lack of direction. Overall, while the series has iconic music and nostalgic appeal, many players find the gameplay inconsistent and at times frustrating.

    • “I also really enjoyed the whip mechanics in the game, which gave me Umihara Kawase fishing line vibes.”
    • “John Morris and Eric Lecarde are both easy to pick up and play, each offering a different gameplay style with a few branching paths in the adventure.”
    • “Oozes ambiance and sucks the player in with atmospheric direction, smooth gameplay, heavily varied level/boss design, and an appropriate soundtrack.”
    • “You've likely heard it all before; the confusing map design, the lack of helpful hints/no sense of direction, the day and night cycles, the repetitive gameplay loop with the mansions, the disappointing bosses, so on and so forth.”
    • “What sucks is how slow the character moves and how little he can jump; gameplay is very slow, and platforming is awful.”
    • “However, gameplay is choppy, slow at times, and inconsistent.”
  • stability20 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and audio issues, including freezing and popping sounds. Many users suggest that the emulation is flawed, leading to a frustrating experience that detracts from the enjoyment of the classic titles. While some players found the emulation acceptable, the overall consensus points to significant technical problems that hinder gameplay.

    • “Numerous visual glitches and it genuinely looks terrible with awful letterboxing and sparse graphical options. The audio itself is even worse, playing Super Castlevania IV and music tracks have terrible popping and breaks in them every few seconds. Requested a refund almost immediately.”
    • “This game is frustrating as hell, not because of the challenging gameplay, but because it is buggy as hell and extremely broken and unbalanced.”
    • “It's a glorified emulator and I've had so many crashes or bugs/glitches throughout the playthrough of just Castlevania 1 to justify giving it a thumbs down, but I'll be damned if the games themselves aren't good.”
  • optimization15 mentions

    The optimization of the collection has received mixed reviews, with some users reporting occasional stuttering, lock-ups, and audio glitches, particularly in the menu. While a few players noted smooth performance without issues, others highlighted the need for optimization patches, especially for controller mapping and sound problems. Overall, the emulation accuracy is acknowledged, but significant performance concerns remain for several titles in the collection.

    • “As far as how the collection runs in its current state goes, I didn’t have any performance issues aside from the ones that the games had on their original release.”
    • “I haven't experienced any performance issues or crashes on either of the games.”
    • “It was the only instance of a performance issue for me.”
    • “That lack of optimization is already bad, but it gets worse: the visuals are often broken in some way usually related to the framerate, and most damningly, there's a horrible audio glitch that kicks in right from the opening menu that causes the music to be distorted and 'crunchy', especially when listening through headphones.”
    • “In desperate need of some optimization patches (controller mapping and the sound glitching primarily), and Castlevania 1 occasionally freezing when too many things are happening on the screen is a genuine problem; however, there’s nothing wrong with it that makes it a dealbreaker for me.”
    • “The stuttering is a part of the games themselves; the fact that it is present in this collection is proof of how accurate the emulation here is.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    The game boasts high replayability due to its well-crafted levels, multiple character options, and various paths to explore, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging. Players appreciate the challenge and the inclusion of bonus materials, which further enhance the overall experience. Overall, it stands out as a highly replayable title, comparable to classics like "Symphony of the Night."

    • “It has two playable character options, every level is extremely well-crafted and fun to play through, and it's short but also highly replayable, similar to the first Castlevania.”
    • “Multiple level paths are available on your quest to take down Dracula, increasing interest and replay value.”
    • “The design quality and well-placed secrets enhance replayability.”
    • “The game has a couple of unforgivable screens, as well as bosses whose patterns are completely random, which creates the main difficulty, but this is an exciting replayable adventure with several paths to different levels and four playable characters.”
  • grinding9 mentions

    Overall, reviews highlight that grinding is a significant and often tedious aspect of these games, particularly in "Simon's Quest" and the original "Castlevania." Players frequently mention the excessive backtracking and the need to grind for resources or progress, which detracts from the overall enjoyment. While some titles introduce interesting mechanics, the grinding and cryptic navigation often lead to a frustrating experience.

    • “Simon's Quest: even if the game told you exactly where to go with a faithful translation, it's still a boring grindy mess, however ambitious it may be.”
    • “Another issue is the enormous amount of backtracking and grinding, which is slow going.”
    • “A bland & obnoxious 2D walking/grinding simulator with too-easy combat, few bosses (who get instagibbed by specific subweapons), godawful localization, uninspired level design, and a hideous palette.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and meticulously crafted design, enhanced by a fantastic soundtrack and varied level and boss encounters. Reviewers note that it effectively captures the mood intended by the game, drawing players in with its ambiance and smooth gameplay. While some comparisons to previous titles highlight differences in narrative depth, the overall consensus is that the atmosphere remains a standout feature.

    • “It's very atmospheric, and while that sounds disappointing, I think it enhances the mood the game is trying to go for.”
    • “However, you can look past this with ease as soon as you overcome them, because everything else about this game is memorable, atmospheric and meticulously crafted.”
    • “Oozes ambiance and sucks the player in with atmospheric direction, smooth gameplay, heavily varied level/boss design, and appropriate soundtrack.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been widely criticized, with users labeling it as a blatant cash grab that exploits beloved franchises for profit. Many feel that the reboots and collections lack creativity and are merely designed to generate revenue without offering substantial value to players. Overall, the sentiment reflects disappointment in the perceived laziness and greed behind the monetization strategies.

    • “This feels more like a cash grab.”
    • “Legendary games turned into a shameless cash grab.”
    • “This is the definition of a lazy cash grab on old IPs.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The game is characterized by its cheerful and lighthearted tone, featuring amusing moments and enjoyable abilities that contribute to its overall humor, making it a title users would recommend to friends.

    • “It's a cheerful, lighthearted game with some funny moments and fun abilities to play with.”
    • “Funny game that I would suggest to a friend.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a profound emotional impact from the game's challenging nature, describing feelings of soul-crushing defeat and spiritual numbness after repeated failures, despite the enjoyment derived from the gameplay. This intense emotional rollercoaster highlights the game's ability to evoke strong reactions, both positive and negative.

    • “The absolute soul-crushing feeling of losing an excellent run to a single mistake and the complete spiritual and emotional numbness you feel over losing over and over again, despite using save states... these are exceptionally fun games.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Play time

91hMedian play time
67hAverage play time
18-115hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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