Not only is it the best Castlevania portable, but it's easily one of the best games in the series.
User Rating: 9.6 | Akumajou Dracula: Circle of the Moon GBA
When I heard Konami would bring Castlevania back to the Gameboy I was a little skeptical. I had reason to be in doubt considering the last three Gameboy titles were mediocre at best. I kept my hopes up though. Symphony of the Night was arguably the best game and was released only two years prior. Chances were Konami was still fresh on the game and could make a monster title. Lucky for us they made that title. Gameplay: The game feels like all its predecessors. If you are familiar with Symphony of the Night you will feel right at home. The game feels like much like Symphony but distinguishes itself enough that it doesn't seem like a clone. The RPG elements have returned and I have a feeling are here to stay. You gain experience by killing enemies and are awarded stronger attack, higher max health, and higher max MP. You may also find things hidden throughout the castle that will instantly increase one of three, such as weapons or heart containers. This time around they have implemented a card system called DSS. This may sound cheesy but it is acutally quite rewarding. There are two rows of cards. When combined in different variations you get different effects. While one combination may summon a Griffon to fight alongside you, another combination may add ice to your whip attack. The game does a great overall job of bringing everything together. Graphics: The graphics are by no means bad, but I would like to have seen them just a bit better. Future Castlevania have proven that it can be done. 9/10 Sound: Castlevania is known for two things. Its monsters and its music. The music is only rivaled by SOTN and Simon's Quest in my opinion. A lot of your old favorites make a return and the new songs fit the quest nicely. 10/10 Value: The game is worth every bit of your hard earned $30. I believe you can find it for even cheaper these days. This was the sole reason I bought the Gameboy Advance. I would have been happy if this was the only game I had for the system. 10/10 Tilt: Nothing much to say about this. I think the game deserves something around mid 9's and that's what I gave it. You may notice that in my collection I gave it a 9.3 but that is because I thought I was reviewing a different game. : ( 9/10 Difficulty: I remember at times that it was a little difficult but nothing too overwhelming for those who are fans of the series or any other platformers or side-scrollers. The younger audience may have a tough time, but kids need to toughen up. Learning Curve: If it takes more thatn 30 for you to figure out how to play go buy an Intelivision and work your way up, dolt. Time: I believe I have around 23 hours on my game. There is a coluseum that you can fight to win new items that I don't believe I finished. There is some replay value as well. As I recall you get a password once you beat the game which allows you new abilites. In closing: This game is an instant classic that should definatly grace your collection. If you are a fan of the series at all and you own a GBA there is no reason you don't already own this. Check out the Castlevania Dungeon for more info on the second greatest series in gaming. (Defeated only by Zelda of course) http://www.classicgaming.com/castlevania/dungeon.htm 
