Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

Game Overview

Although Castlevania: Symphony of the NightReleased on the PlayStation in 1997, this game, while not hugely successful in the U.S. at the time, went on to become on the most beloved titles in the Castlevania series. wasn't initially a success, it did eventually pick up its sales pace. That, coupled with fan and critical approval of the game over time gave Konami incentive to try another game in that same MetroidvaniaAt the intersection of Metroid and Castlevania lies the exploration platformer genre, the game style with heroes wandering expansive worlds, looking for items to expand their quest, known as Metroidvania. formula. The fans were begging for it, the press was wondering why Konami hadn't made another game in the same vein -- instead releasing Castlevania: LegendsThe third and final Castlevania game for the diminutive Game Boy, this title took players all the way back to the (at the time) origins of the clan to follow the adventures of Sonia Belmont. shortly after, and then having a new team work on Castlevania for the Nintendo 64After a number of titles for non-Nintendo systems, Castlevania’s return should have been marked by much love and enjoyment from the fans. Sadly the first version of the game on Nintendo’s 64-bit console was a flawed game, interesting in places but not the kind of game fans were clamoring for in 1999. (and its prequel-and-director's cut, Castlevania: Legacy of DarknessThe “Director’s Cut” of Castlevania for the Nintendo 64, this version added in additional material originally cut from the original game, while improving some parts of the overall experience.) -- so the company pull together a team to make the game that would eventually become Circle of the Moon.

Circle of the Moon (titled Akumajo Dracula Circle of the Moon in Japan, translated as "Demon Castle Dracula Circle of the Moon", and known simply as Castlevania in Europe) was the next big project from KCEK after they were done with the two Castlevania 64 entries. Reportedly this was the game they'd originally wanted to make, but the company's desires to have a 3D entry (after the flak Symphony of the Night received in the West for not being 3D, only for the fans and critics to then complain about Castlevania 64 for being a departure for the series, thus proving gamers can be fickle jerks), and you can feel their passion for the project in every pixel. This is a game that lovingly takes the feel of Symphony of the Night and marries it to the whip-wielding, hard-edged game play of the classic titles.

Set in a Carmilla's castle (not Dracula's, it should be noted), Circle of the Moon follows the story of the evil vampire sorceress, CarmillaMaster vampiress and one of Dracula's lieutenants. She's aided in many of his evil schemes, working to ensure his rebirth again and again after the many times the Belmonts have taken down the Lord of Vampires. (of course), and her plan to resurrect the Dark Lord, DraculaThe lead antagonist of the Castlevania series and most famous vampire character in all media, all thanks to Bram Stoker. Based on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, a vicious ruler of Wallachia in the mid-1500s.. To combat the forces of evil, we are introduced to new heroes in the series: the Baldwin and Graves clans. Protectors of the sacred whip, the Vampire KillerThe legendary whip charged with holy magic and created for the Belmont clan to aid in their fight against the forces of darkness. It has been the constant, reliable weapon of the clan through the many generations of their battles. Strong against vampires. (although the game calls it the "Hunter's Whip", so maybe it is a different holy relic), these heroes head to the castle to try and defeat Dracula before he's able to fully come to power. Things don't go to plan and it's up to Nathan GravesApprentice to the Morris Clan, one-time protectors of the famed Belmont whip, the Vampire Killer. When the followers of Dracula threaten to bring the vampire back, Nathan has to take up the whip and not only stop Dracula but also save his master from the vampire's clutches., current holder of the whip, to explore the vast castle and eventually reach the Dark Prince as the fate of the world hangs in the balance.

Although many (including the editors of this site) praised Circle of the Moon when it came out, the game was not without its detractors. The graphics sometimes appeared a bit muddy in the game, without the smooth, flowing graphics the PlayStation was able to create; the Game Boy Advance, while a good hand-held, was never as powerful as Sony's set-top console, and in the early days of he consoles release, without a back-light, the graphics of a number of games did suffer. This led to the gorgeous graphics of the game appearing very dark and hard to see (a problem that was "fixed", for a certain definition of that term, in the next title, Castlevania: Harmony of DissonanceThe second Castlevania game for the Game Boy Advance, and third true Metroidvania, this title saw the return of Koji Igarashi to the director role, marking the full start of his tenure as the master of the series.). Early complaints were largely focused on this... and the difficulty.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was designed to be an easier game, one where the players could reasonably be expected to see all parts of both of its castles (regular and inverted). Circle of the Moon, though, was made to be harder, to give players a challenge. While there were plenty of save rooms and teleporters scattered around, the enemies themselves were unforgiving. The distance between save rooms, coupled with those enemies, and the fact that portable games are expected to be more "pick up and play" meant that it could be hard to get through an area, fight the boss, limp back to a save room, and actually save your game, all before you had to stop playing or the game killed you. At times, Circle of the Moon could be punishing (especially in comparison to other Game Boy Advance titles). That said many gamers complained (and still complain) about Symphony's lack of difficulty, once again proving you can't please everyone.

The other major complaint was that, despite being a Metroidvania title, Circle of the Moon didn't play like Symphony of the Night. While it still had the same open castle, same emphasis on exploration, Circle of the Moon has a classic "Belmont" style character, a whip-wielder that seems a far cry from AlucardOne of three heroes recruited by Trevor Belmont on his quest to defeat Dracula, Alucard was the son of Dracula who turned from his fathers evil, battling against his cursed family line again and again. and his swords, shields, magic, and sassy style. You're much more limited in Circle in some respects, although critics and fans did praise the variety of the magic (once you were able to find and unlock it) via the DSS cards.

Despite its detractors, though, audiences were primed for a new Metroidvania game in the Castlevania series. After the disappointing sales of Legends, Castlevania 64, and Legacy of Darkness, Circle of the Moon was the shot in the arm the series needed, giving Castlevania it's first Million Seller (worldwide, at least) in the series in some time. This would then lead to many more Metroidvania titles in the series as Symphony co-director, Koji Igarashi, was brought in to head up the series after this.

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