As a huge fan of the franchise, Castlevania Anniversary Collection was something I was very excited to get my hands on. Available on the PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC this is one of the most anticipated game collections in quite some time. The version that I have played is the PlayStation 4, so please keep that in mind.
How to Download Castlevania Anniversary Collection
You can download the game from Steam or from any of the console stores. Click on the button below the review.
The Collection Review
So what do you get with this collection? Well, you get 8 classic Castlevania games. You get the original trilogy for the NES, IV for the SNES, Bloodlines for the Genesis and then two Gameboy games and the unreleased in the West, Kid Dracula. It is a very nice mix of classic Castlevania before the series would change with Symphony of the Night.
For me, there are four absolute smash hit games in this collection. Castlevania, Castlevania 3, Castlevania Bloodlines and especially Super Castlevania IV are all fantastic games. These alone make this a collection that is worth paying the price for. The two Gameboy games are just horrible, I hated the Castlevania Adventure when I played it as a kid… I hate it even more now!
Kid Dracula is a game that I had never played before and this is actually a fun action platformer that is a nice addition to the collection. So, I would have to say that as a collection of great games, Castlevania Anniversary Collection nails it. Of course, when you are dealing with a collection like this what really matters is how they play.
I have probably played through Super Castlevania IV at least 20 times over the years. So, I can tell you that this is a great version of it. This and the other games look good and I found the sound to be pretty darn good too. There are a couple of options such as stretching the screen, but I just left the options as they were and really have no complaints.
While the sound in the games is ok. This really annoying and high-pitched noise when moving menus is like Dracula sharp nails on a chalkboard! You do get used to it, but why on Earth did they even put this in the game. As far as the wonders of emulation go. Castlevania Anniversary Collection is pretty bare-bones in that regard.
Playing through Super Castlevania IV on the SNES Classic recently, it was cool being able to rewind my game. There is none of that here, you only get one save state per game and there are no special features that you can do with the emulation at all. To be fair the games in this collection are that good they stand on their own. However other classic collections usually add some bells and whistles as far as the emulation goes.
Overall, I think that Castlevania Anniversary Collection is a fun package. If you are a fan of the franchise you will like the included eBook that is full of great stuff. Overall, some of these games really hold up well and I have had a great time playing them again. The asking price I feel is fair and if you like old school Castlevania then it is worth checking out.
