Read this first. All done? Good. Let’s continue on into this miserable little pile of secrets, shall we?

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001)

Historical Significance: The first Castlevania to adopt the “Metroidvania” design since Symphony of the Night, as well as the first game to make its debut appearance on the Gameboy Advance. While adopting an experiment-heavy Dual Set-Up System for weapons and skills, the game was notorious for having a toned-down graphical contrast on the yet-to-have-backlight first model of the system it’s made for. It also marked the second time you get to control a non-Belmont whip wielder.

Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002)

Historical Significance: The second entry for the GBA was considered one of the easier Castlevania games to complete, as the bosses do not pose much of a threat and that Juste has a plethora of spells to use along with his powered-up Vampire Killer whip.

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (2003)

Historical Significance: This marks the first Castlevania to be set in modern times. Main character Soma Cruz even uses a handgun at one point (though it’s weaksauce). The Tactical Soul system inspires many gamers to kill the same enemies multiple times in order to farm for their souls, either for stat bonuses, extra abilities, or just to get 100% for the Soul compendium. This also marks the long-awaited return of fan favorite Alucard, albeit in a modern form.

Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003)

Historical Significance: Not only did Lament of Innocence made its first mark on the PS2 as a 3D action game, its story serves as a be-all-end-all origin story of how this whole mess got started. Leon’s basically the first Belmont family member who preceded Trevor Belmont, Dracula used to be Leon’s partner-in-justice named Mathias, and the Vampire Killer whip is made out of Leon’s dead wife’s soul. It’s also significant for being one of the few Castlevania games in 3D that doesn’t totally suck.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005)

Historical Significance: Dawn of Sorrow (I see what you did there) marks the first time players get to do touch-screen stuff on the game, though it personally feels more tacked-on. The game also introduces a new mode which deals with an alternate ending of the game: you control the trio of Julius Belmont, Yoko Belnades, and Alucard to fight against the dark-powered Soma. In the efforts to attract young children to play Castlevania (a game that features this as an intro, mind you), someone from the art department decided to add in badly-drawn anime for the character portraits of the game.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (2005)

Historical Significance: A sequel to Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse, Curse of Darkness is another 3D action game much like Lament of Innocence, and also had the courtesy to not blow chunks.  The game is known for making you summon different types of Innocent Devils that help you kill enemies easier and solve puzzles.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2006)

Historical Significance: Following the tradition of being a Metroidvania handheld Castlevania title, Portrait of Ruin’s schtick is that (a) you can alternate between two characters (whip-bearer Jonathan Morris and spellcaster Charlotte) and (b) there are sub-levels within the game’s open-ended castle which are tailored like the old Castlevania platformer titles. The game also shows the final fate of one Eric LeCarde from Castlevania: Bloodlines; a ghost who helps the duo rid the castle of Dracula. This partner setup also led to one of the best final fights in the series.

Castlevania: Order of Shadows (2007)

Historical Significance: This marks the first time an original Castlevania game makes its way onto the mobile Java Platform, as well as redoing the classic game’s distinctive sprite art style. It also showed how to pull off a Castlevania right on just the limited control scheme of a handphone.

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008)

Historical Significance: Canonically-speaking, this is the first time a female protagonist is headlining the game who is not related to anyone from the Belmont clan whatsoever. Moreso, this game mish-mashes between the 2D linear stage designs of earlier Castlevania games with the open-ended Dracula’s Castle stage setup at the second half of the game. The game also showcases the first time Dracula uses his damn legs to chase after you in a fight.

There you have it: all the main Castlevania games summed up in two parts. What does the future hold for the franchise? I’ll let you know later this week (hopefully).