Dawn of the Dead

Game: Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
System: Nintendo DS
Release date: September 30, 2005
Developed by: Konami
Published by: Konami

The Castlevania franchise can be neatly divided into two phases: the platform/action titles which appeared on the NES and Game Boy; and the post-Symphony of the Night titles which fused adventure and RPG elements with classic Castlevania gameplay. Dawn of Sorrow, released for the Nintendo DS in 2005, belongs to the latter phase.

A sequel to the Game Boy Advance (GBA) game Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow continues the story of Soma Cruz, a young man who by all accounts has absorbed the powers of the dark lord Dracula after his ultimate demise. Keeping the darkness at bay is Soma's own resolve and the help of his loyal friends, including Julius Belmont, heir to the greatest vampire-slayer ever born, Simon Belmont.

Dawn of Sorrow belongs to the "Castletroid" or "Metroidvania" type Castlevania game, which mixes classic Castlevania gameplay with elements found in the Metroid series, including area maps, save rooms and the ability to retrace your steps throughout the game environment. The castle in Dawn of Sorrow is one of the largest yet created in Castlevania; backtracking is absolutely necessary.


Although Dawn of Sorrow is a fine game, it suffers from the greatness of its predecessor. Aria of Sorrow is one of the two best GBA games ever made and easily the best handheld Castlevania adventure. Dawn of Sorrow retains much of same gameplay, enhancing the experience with improved graphics and sound, but never quite matches up to the greatness of Aria of Sorrow.

Dawn of Sorrow features several endings, so be warned that the conclusion you see might not be the "good" one. Once the penultimate ending is achieved, "Julius Mode" is unlocked, which allows players to explore the castle as the latest member of the Belmont clan.

Score: 90/100