And here we though we’ve seen the very best of Konami’s retro releases. We’ve seen Castlevania, Contra and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles compilations. And, of course, a number of arcade favorites – including Sunsetriders. But last week, the company floored us with the surprise announcement of Castlevania Dominus Collection.
The collection features three key titles from the Nintendo DS days, lovingly remastered by the talented squad at M2. They have a presentation that’s a bit odd at first, but works incredibly over time. And there are notable bonuses as well, including a remix of a game we didn’t see coming.
Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Aria of Sorrow await, along with a long-lost arcade title and its surprising Revisited form. There are extras galore too, including ones that Castlevania fans will absolutely want to endure.
There’s very little wrong with this collection, aside from the aging of one particular title. But for $25, you’ll find yourself desiring adding this to your library. Dominus is indeed dominant.
Castlevania Dominus Collection Brings the Original Games, and How
As mentioned, the classics Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Aria of Sorrow are in this compilation. M2 works with a presentation that sees the main “action” screen presented on the left side, while the “secondary” screen is smaller on the right.
At first, some people may not get used to this system. But it works very well, and you can make tweaks as needed. But it’s fine the way it is, allowing you to see each magical adventure as it plays out.
My particular favorite of the three is Aria of Sorrow, a fantastic futuristic tale that’s right up there with Symphony of the Night. But all three games are epic journeys, ones with great characters, wonderful abilities and stellar gameplay. They can be a bit complicated compared to earlier Castlevania games, but you’ll learn and gradually take hold. They’re awesome to play.
On top of that, there are extras galore. You’ll find key artwork here, along with musical selections and the original game manuals. Some interviews would’ve hit the spot, but there’s more than enough history to delve into here.
As I mentioned above, the presentation is unique but totally works. And the artwork on a much bigger screen deserves better appreciation. The character animation is stellar, the backgrounds are rich in detail, and each game moves beautifully. Plus the music in each game is terrific (for cartridge even!), and the sound effects deliver. There’s barely any sort of flaw here.
Honestly, just these three games alone would’ve made Dominus Collection worth its weight in vampiric silver. But there’s more.
Enter the Haunted Castle
One particular section of Dominus Collection focuses on Haunted Castle. Never heard of it?
The original Castle released in arcades way back in 1987. It set the blueprint for the Castlevania series to come. However, it did so in a pretty bad way. The game was just too hard to play through, and the controls had very little promise.
What’s interesting is you can see this for yourself, as the original Castle is here in all its restored “glory,” so to speak. But, honestly, you’ll likely play this a couple of times and move on. Time hasn’t been fair to it.
And yet, M2 still redeems its inclusion with Haunted Castle Revisited. This is a “remix” of the arcade game, with touches akin to the PS1 classic Castlevania Chronicles. And it’s fantastic. It controls way better, looks elegant and, despite its short length, has plenty to offer. It’s like a diamond in the rough that you find after digging through the original Castle’s crap.
It’s a game that would’ve easily scored points by itself. But as part of this collection, it adds unspeakable value. This makes Dominus Collection possibly the biggest and best Castlevania compilation yet.
Don’t Miss the Dominus
Wow. M2 really delivers with this surprise out of left field. Castlevania Dominus Collection is a whopper of a package, with four noteworthy titles and, um, Haunted Castle. Heh. It’s built with nostalgia and greatness clearly in mind. There’s a lot to play here – so much in fact, there’s so many good places to start. (Well, not the original Castle.)
The emulation is terrific, and the value of games and goods here will keep you busy for hours. And Haunted Castle Revisited is a testament to making a mediocre game into something of a must-play. Now that’s talent.
Konami continues to push for the classics and we’re here for it. Now if we can just get a collection that includes Symphony, Rondo of Blood, Chronicles and, dare I say it, Castlevania The Adventure Rebirth. Please?
GAMERHUB RATING: 4.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to Konami for the review code! Castlevania Dominus Collection is available now for Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC!
