Review for Castlevania Anniversary Collection. Game for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 16/05/2019
Castlevania is undoubtedly one of the most important series in the history of video games. A franchise among the most iconic and long-lived ever created, so much so that it is one of the primary exponents of the genre in pop culture. Despite some stumbling blocks and a substantial inactivity from the not too happy Lords of Shadow 2, it is now about 30 years that the saga of the most famous vampire hunters in the world and their nemesis Dracula accompanies us through several generations.
A series as prolific as it is scattered on various consoles, and although its chapters are generally self-sufficient and do not claim too much the need to be played in their entirety (contrary to others, such as Kingdom Hearts for example), who for completeness wanted to find them (legally) all titles would be found in certainly not an easy undertaking.
Luckily this is the ideal year for fans or the curious eager to sink their fingertips into the roots of Castlevania, as Konami has decided to celebrate its 50th anniversary by betting everything on the glories of the past and planning collections of titles that have made the history of the Japanese company in the market. After letting us relive some arcade goodies with the Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection, and with a series dedicated to Contra Coming this summer, this Castlevania Anniversary Collection is now available.
The collection includes the following titles:
- Castlevania
- Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
- Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse
- Super Castlevania IV
- Castlevania: Bloodlines
- Castlevania: The Adventure
- Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge
- Kid Dracula
Eight of the very first titles of the 8 and 16-bit generations released between 1987 and 1994, a period before the arrival of Koji Igarashi in the role of director that led the series to further maturation that would have contributed (together with Metroid) to the minting of the genus "Metroidvania".
These are therefore chapters with a rather linear advancement and of considerable difficulty for today's canons, which require you to develop timing and coordination in trial and error sessions struggling with hordes of enemies and merciless precipices. Titles certainly not for everyone, but with the right amount of patience some of them are still very enjoyable today, while others definitely less.
While the titles for NES and SNES outline a progressive evolution culminating with Super Castlevania IVStill one of the best and most appreciated by fans today, Game Boy titles are extremely subdued and limited, both in overall quality and in the effectiveness of the controls.
Unique released for Mega Drive, Bloodlines is probably the most precious gem of the package, not only because it is one of the best pre-Igarashi Castlevania, with two playable characters available, but because it is a little known and unfairly neglected title by most. The reason for this lack of popularity is to be found in the fact that the series made its fortune mainly on Nintendo systems, at a time when very few owned more than one console; moreover, the title came out very late in the life cycle of the Mega Drive, especially considering that a few months later the first PlayStation would be released in Japan.
To close the Anniversary Collection we find the nice Kid Dracula, a spin-off never released outside Japan except for the remake / sequel on Game Boy. It is the only game that deviates from the typical structure of the series and is more like a Mega Man with a light and parody visual style. While it may seem impractical to some in this compilation, it can actually be a great diversion to take a break from the punishing sessions of the other chapters.
Between ups and downs, the eight games expertly emulated by M2 for current consoles are certainly more than enough to keep you busy for several hours. For a collection of this caliber, however, it is difficult not to notice any shortcomings. The absence of Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night is glaring, but easily explained by the fact that they are already included in the Castlevania Requiem collection. Despite the not too high price, it wouldn't have been bad to create a unique collection with a slightly higher price; splitting the saga into two parts is not exactly the best way for Konami to attract the sympathy of the players. It is also absent Vampire Killer, which despite being an MSX2 version of the first Castlevania for NES had introduced many additions and differences. Finally, one wonders why it was not included Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, WiiWare remake of Castlevania The Adventure with renewed color graphics and less woody controls developed by M2.
In terms of content, this Anniversary Collection does not add anything, limiting itself to faithfully transpose the titles. The only bonus present is the digital book titled The History of Castlevania: Book of the Crescent Moon, essentially a PDF containing preparatory artwork and sketches, information, trivia and interviews. Although it is not very comfortable to use, it is certainly an interesting source for both newbies and fans of the saga.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection does present some appreciable features, but nothing to make you cry a miracle. The most useful (and necessary) is undoubtedly theoption to save anywhere in the game, a possibility that will greatly mitigate the frustration to overcome certain particularly difficult points. There is also a replay function to record and re-watch your game.
M2 graphics conversion does what it can to optimize 8- and 16-bit titles for current standards, leaving the choice of display to the player. You can set 4: 3 originals, a pixel perfect option, or a narrow 16: 9 view for the more psychopathic gamers intolerant to side black bands. Or it is also possible to fill those bands with some themed frames. There are also some filters available, such as the one that emulates the horizontal lines of the cathode ray tube, or the choice between green, black and white or Color scale for Game Boy titles. These are all nice options, but they don't significantly improve the experience.
More attention to technical optimization would certainly have been more appreciated, as some games suffer from a recurring flickering really out of place Nowadays. Even more scandalous is the absence of a function to customize the joypad keys, which forces us to adapt with the mapping chosen by default. A certain listlessness also transpires from the Trophy system which simply rewards us with a trophy for each completed game; a clear step back from the more in-depth one seen in Castlevania Requiem.
Castlevania Anniversary Collection is certainly to be appreciated for its very high historical value, and is a product certainly recommended for any fan of the Belmont saga. The best way to recover the origins of this saga and gradually appreciate its evolution in a legal way without having to resort to emulation, also by virtue of a low price. Given the occasion, however, one would have expected from Konami a greater commitment and attention to detail, instead of a collection that on the one hand includes welcome features, but on the other denotes a certain laziness.
► Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a Platform-Action-type game developed and published by Konami for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 16/05/2019
