No media (book, movie, or game) exists in a vacuum. Castlevania shared concepts in common with platformers that came before it and then influenced games afterwards. This is especially true once the series merged into the Metroidvania genre (which, we should note, happened with the second game in the series, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, although the bones were even beginning to take shape in the semi-remake/port Vampire Killer) -- it was inextricably linked to the explorational adventure-platformers, forever now being referenced when a new game (a "Metroidvania" game) in the genre is released.

So what makes a game a direct relative of Castlevania or Metroid? Is it just the ambiance, or the game play? Really, it's both as the style and substance of a game can indicate it saw what Konami (and/or Nintendo) was cranking out and decided to play in the same pool. Throughout this section we'll look at the games that came out before, around, and after the Castlevania entries and look at what was influenced by our favorite series and what might have been drawn from them in return.

Games and Series Started in the Classic Era

  • Adventure (1980, Atari 2600)
  • Dragon Slayer (1984, Various Systems)
    • Xanadu (1985, Various Systems)
    • Xanadu: Scenario II (1986, Various Systems)
    • Romancia (1986, Various Systems)
    • Faxanadu (1987, Nintendo Entertainment System)
    • Legacy of the Wizard (1987, Various Systems)
    • Sorcerian (1987, Various Systems)
    • Dragon Slayer Gaiden (1992, Nintendo Game Boy)
    • The Legend of Xanadu (1994, NEC PC Engine)
    • The Legend of Xanadu II (1995, NEC PC Engine)

Games and Series Started in the 8-Bit Era

Games and Series Started in the 16-Bit Era

Games and Series Started in the Post-64-Bit Era

  • Shantae (2002, Nintendo Game Boy Color)
    • Shantae: Risky's Revenge (2010, Various Systems)
    • Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (2014, Nintendo 3DS & Nintendo WiiU)
    • Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (2016, Various Systems)
    • Shantae and the Seven Sirens (2019, Various Systems)
  • Mega Man Network Transmission (2003, Nintendo GameCube)
  • Shaman King: Master of Spirits (2004, Nintendo Gameboy Advance)
    • Shaman King: Master of Spirits 2 (2005, Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

Games and Series Started in the Modern Era

Upcoming Games

  • Gestalt: Steam & Cinder (TBD 2022, Personal Computers)
  • Infernax (TBD 2022, Personal Computers)
  • The Last Faith (TBD 2022, Personal Computers)
  • Lords of Exile (TBD 2022, Personal Computers)
  • Afterimage (TBD Eventually, Various Systems)
  • Brave Earth Prologue (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)
  • Carpathian Night (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)
  • Grim Guardians: Demon Purge (TBD Eventually, Various Systems)
  • Mandragora (TBD Eventually, Various Systems)
  • The Transylvania Adventure of Simon Quest (TBD Eventually, Personal Computers)