Platform: PSP

4 Pulses

Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles is a side-scrolling action-adventure game that uses the older level-based gameplay model from the Nintendo Entertainment System, along with 3-D graphics to give it a modern touch.

The main game, called Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, features Richter Belmont as he attempts to rescue his fianc’e, Annette Renard, and her sister, Maria, after they were abducted by the dark priest Shaft and taken to Dracula’s lair.

Rondo of Blood plays just like a traditional Castlevania game. The player controls Richter (and Maria later on) through a total of eight stages to defeat the boss of each stage. The game will split into two different sections depending on how a level is completed.

Richter uses a whip that gives him the added range of attack, while Maria uses doves that are more rapid, but weaker. Also, when picking up hearts in the game, he or she is able to use sub-weapons. Richter uses axes, knives and crosses to defeat his foes while Maria uses various animals that can be summoned.

This game is as hard as all the others in the series. Each level is filled with bottomless pits, traps and situations where monsters will out-maneuver the player. Precision and pattern memorization are a must to master; otherwise, the player will start screaming at the PSP over how many times he or she dies. However, the save system is forgiving. There are unlockables in the game, but they do require multiple playthroughs to find them all (even if this reviewer hasn’t found them all).

Speaking of unlockables, there are many in Dracula X Chronicles. The original version of Rondo of Blood, never released in the U.S., is playable. Also, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is unlockable. However, this version is different from its Playstation and Xbox 360 counterparts. This version is like the Sega Saturn version, where Maria Renard was a playable character. Even the script has been retranslated and new voice actors fix the problems plaguing the Playstation and Xbox 360 versions.

Even though both versions of Rondo of Blood contain the same levels, each plays as its own separate game. The differences in voice acting, music and graphics give each a unique style. By even today’s standards, the original’s 2-D graphics are very detailed. In the remake, the 3-D sequences become more dramatic as bosses make their appearances. The enemies are slower in the remake, though, to allow more reaction time, which makes it the easier of the two.

Beating the game takes only a few hours, but if one wants to get everything, it may take days to complete all three of the games. All of the games allow for lots of replay value, but this game may not be the one for players prone to throwing the PSP in anger.

In short, three games for $30 make it a must-have for the PSP.

Upcoming Releases

The Golden Compass (X360, PS2, Wii, PS3, DS, PSP)