Developed by Konami, the firstCastlevaniagame debuted in September 1986 for the Famicom, and the series went on to encompass around 30 titles released on nearly every platform. There were also a number ofCastlevaniaspinoffgames likeKid Draculaand even an online fighting title calledCastlevania Judgment. Some of the most popular entries in the franchise were those released on the Game Boy Advance in the early 2000s, and it’s long been rumored that theCastlevania Advance Collectionmight be released to celebrate the series’ 35th anniversary.
For the past 10 years, Nintendo has held online or live presentations called Nintendo Direct, often multiple times a year. The third such showcase in 2021 was held on September 23, and a number of exciting game updates were shared during the event, including the announcement of the next 3D platform adventure featuring Kirby. Anew trailer for the long-awaitedBayonetta 3was also revealed, along with information about the next paid DLC expansion forMonster Hunter Rise.
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One surprising announcement at the September 23Nintendo Direct showcase wasCastlevania Advance Collection. Not surprising because people didn’t already suspect that it was coming, but because the compilation is available to purchase today for Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The collection will bring together 2001’sCastlevania: Circle of the Moon, 2002’sCastlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, 2003’sCastlevania: Aria of Sorrow, as well as the 1995 Super Nintendo gameCastlevania: Dracula X(known asVampire’s Kissin other parts of the world.)
TheCastlevania Advance Collectionwas co-developed by M2, a studio that has worked with Konami in the past onCastlevaniaandContraanniversary collections. All four games in theAdvance Collectionhave received a few modern features like Rewind, Save/Load, and Replay. The collection also includes an encyclopedia, a music player so fans can listen to all of the games’ soundtracks, and even someCastlevaniasketches and artworkthat have never been shared before. Players will also be able to change the games' ROM region to enjoy different release versions.
In addition toCastlevania,the return of a couple other retro classics was revealed during the Nintendo Direct showcase.ActRaiser, a well-loved classic that first appeared on the Super Nintendo in 1990, will be getting a remastered version for multiple platforms under the nameActRaiser: Renaissance. AndShadowrun Trilogy, a collection of three of the later titles in the cyberpunk-themed tactical RPG series –Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun: Dragonfall, andShadowrun: Hong Kong– will launch sometime in 2022.
Castlevania Advance Collectionis available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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