Which Castlevania to play to get into the series

So, you’ve never played a Castlevania game before and are wondering where the best spot to jump in is? Maybe you’ve watched the show or are excited about the upcoming Castlevania: Nocturne and that’s got you curious. Well, as a longtime fan of the series, let me guide you.

There are quite a few solid places to start from in the series, but you need to be aware of something going in: the series is largely split between two styles of Castlevania games. The first is the classic platformer style. This is how the series began, and they’re typical stiff-but-tight affairs where you simply travel from one end of a level to the other. 

The second type is “Metroidvania.” These are a little less straightforward as you’re dropped into a big, interconnected level with gated progression. This is similar to the formula of world design popularized by Metroid.

With that in mind, there are actually two perfect spots to jump in, one for each style of game.

Castlevania (NES, 1986)

I’m not saying you should start off with the absolute first Castlevania title for story or chronological reasons. It is, in my opinion, the very best one. Part of this is because it doesn’t really experiment. You are Simon Belmont, and you’re up against a progression of levels and bosses. It doesn’t get much more basic than that.

It’s somewhat surprising that any game could nail its formula on the first try. In 1986, the platformer was still in its infancy. It wasn’t long before that Super Mario Bros. established a lot of the foundations of what made a good scrolling platformer. Castlevania went in a bit of a different direction with its whip upgrade system, sub-weapons, and stiff movement, all of which would be carried throughout the series.

But more than that, it’s almost perfect in its pacing, aesthetic, and challenge. Speaking of which, be warned that Castlevania – and most titles that use the classic formula – tend to be rather difficult. They don’t use artificial means to heighten difficulty, such as limited continues, but rather present you with tricky encounters and high expectations. Beating it for the first time, though, is something you’ll probably never forget.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS1, 1997)

While you could get technical and say that Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest was the first Metroidvania-style game in the series, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is the one that first associated gated exploration with it. It was also the first title with Koji Igarashi at the helm (though as assistant director). In it, you play as the son of Dracula, Alucard, as he tries to put a stop to the plans of his father’s followers.

While Castlevania was struggling to figure things out on the new generation of graphics hardware, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night decided to just stay 2D. This would later be carried over to the various handheld titles, which followed largely the same formula.

Most importantly, however, is that it isn’t quite as difficult as previous Castlevania titles. There’s still a decent challenge here, but since some RPG elements are incorporated, you can typically just grind for experience, level up, and then overpower any troublesome boss. There also isn’t nearly as much instant death as there was in previous titles, so if your platforming skills aren’t quite refined, then you’ll feel more at home here.