Review: Castlevania Portrait of Ruin
I have been a huge fan of the Castlevania series for what seems like the series inception, and the handheld incarnations of the series have been the pinnacle of what the series has been about, with each game living up to the level of quality that fans expect from the games, while reaming on story for the entire series. But will Castlevania Portrait of Ruin for the Nintendo DS live up to that standard of quality? Or will this be a stumbling block for the series?
Story:
Some one has taken control of Dracula's castle and it is up to you Jonathan Morris, and Charlotte Aulin to put a stop to these interlopers before they accidentally reawaken Dracula or all may be lost.
Graphics:
Once again Konami has delivered with the gorgeous graphics that one comes to expect in a Castlevania game, top notch 2d animation, and graphics dance brilliantly on both on the DS's screens and look as good as they can. If there is a gripe it is that they use many of the sprites and characters from Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow in this game, and it is noticeable, but when the game strays from the mold of its predecessor when it comes to characters, and sprites, this game shines all on its own.
Music:
Another eerie score for another game, and the team at Konami did not disappoint here either, but what I found to be a real nice touch was that there is quite a bit of voice acting in this game, even out of cut scenes, something that had not even been a part of Dawn of Sorrow. But if you like the sound from the Castlevania games you will not be disappointed.
Control:
Here is the major difference between Dawn of Sorrow, and Portrait of Ruin, and that is the unlike Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin DOES NOT make use of the Touch screen, sad since that was something I loved about Dawn of Sorrow. Instead you have a tagging system that allows you to tag between Jonathan and Charlotte with the push of a button much like you did in the Julius mode in Dawn of Sorrow, the difference is that unlike in Dawn of Sorrow the person you are not playing as can be tagged in to either fight with you, or perform a support technique, or a team up technique, which gives this game a different, and unique feel. But if you love Castlevania games like I know you all do you still will not be disappointed, but rather enjoy the differences present in this game over its processors.
Design:
The design is almost always what sets the Castlevania games apart from most other games of the action adventure genre, it always seems like the design team goes out of its way to try something new, and it has always worked out to bee a good and fresh experience, and Portrait of Ruin sticks to this rule providing a different Castlevania experience while continuing the quality we have all come to expect in our Castlevania gaming experiences including a lot of bonus content, and now including WiFi Services so you can play the game with a friend online, or sell your hard earned stuff. The only other thing is that the castle seems a little smaller this time thanks to the fact that there is only one castle, but that was easily remedied thanks to the fact that the portraits around the game have their own gaming worlds (ala Mario 64) but over all they make the game larger in my opinion., and add new experiences to the game.
Nintendo DS owners do yourself a favor and pick this game up, it will consume your life , and don't forget about its quality predecessor Dawn of Sorrow, which one has to figure must be cheaper by now, both are excellent and are some of the best games on the Nintendo DS
Graphics
9/10
Game play
9/10
Sound
10/10
Fun factor
10/10
Tilt
10/10
Average score
9.6
Castlevania Portrait of Ruin:
Pros:
WiFi Co Op!
Unique feel for a Castlevania game
Plenty of extra content
Good story
Cons:
No touch screen use