Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6954 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Konami
• Released on: 2005-09-30
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Platform: Nintendo DS

Manufacturer's Description
A revolutionary breed of Castlevania is in development for Nintendo's newest handheld console, The DS ('Dual Screen'). It is a follow-up to the hugely popular Aria of Sorrow and boasts the same director, immediately endearing it to fans of the series

However, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow will appeal to anyone who owns a Nintendo DS, due to its innovative gameplay features. Existing fans will be happy to learn that Aria of Sorrow's main protagonist, Soma Cruz, is once again called to act. Events occur only a few years after those in Aria of Sorrow. Once again the timelessly compelling Shadow of Dracula spurs the story on, with Soma called to infiltrate an enemy HQ fashioned after Dracula's ancient castle complete with monstrous creatures!

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow takes full advantage of the Nintendo DS' dual screen and touch screen technology, in addition to its wireless connectivity. The dual screen combined with the touch screen function allows a new 'Magic Seal' system within the game whereby magic symbols drawn directly onto the lower screen unlock enchanted portals on the top screen. Another key gameplay feature in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow is collecting the souls of enemies to gain powerful attacks and skills. By using the wireless connectivity of Nintendo DS, players can exchange and/or trade acquired souls with friends.

Even without the enhanced features afforded by Nintendo DS, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow would be noteworthy for its fabulous musical score, and ornate visual style complete with dazzling special effects. This is what fans of the series have learned to expect, while being a valuable attribute that attracts more newcomers with each new installment.

Customer Reviews

2D delight
When you hear that Castlevania is 2D, your first reaction might be to think of it as a relic of another age. It seems like only 3D is good enough in this day and age.

Think again.

This game is utterly addictive. In fact, i have to say that in all truth it's the ONLY game for the DS that i can say that about.

Apart from Age of Kings, i suppose, but then that was marred by bugs. Castlevania runs as smooth as honey.

The game is open, i.e. lets you take your own path, yet focused at the same time, so you don't end up feeling lost or bored. The various baddies are well thought out and i love the way you get tantalising glimpses of places you can't access yet but will reach later in the game. The pace is fast, but only as fast as you want it to be. There are lots of combinations of powers, weapons and armours to explore - in fact, there's lots to explore full stop.

Buy it and enjoy.

An excellent game.
Without reffering to previous Castlevanias or comparing it to Symphony of the Night which too many people do, this game is excellence.
Its worth buying a DS for this game, its what I did; but unfortunately had to wait for a few months until it was in stock again (thank god it came back in stock)
Basically its really addictive, killing enemies with different weapons and abilities or just your own fists is extremely satisfying, complimented by the wonderful animations and sounds of the monsters. (I particularly like the boss Paranoia, who sounds like a madman from a death metal band.)The bosses are so fantastic its not annoying to have your arse kicked by them, well not the first time.
If you find bosses too hard you can easily just kill monsters to gain more power then try again, (which is very useful to those who have never played castlevania.)
Ah yes, if you have never played a Castlevania game before this is a great place to start. You don't 'need' to buy the previous game, "Aria of Sorrow", to know whats going on. All the info you need is explained in the game.
While its quite short and can be completed in a couple of days solid play (first time through, guideless, clueless) theres plenty of replayability, and is one of those rare games I actually replay to the end. If you like Metroid, buy this. If you dont play games like this buy it! This game would have made a much bigger impression on me if I was younger and less experienced in games, although thats not to say it didnt stun me. The first time I walked into the castle was when Castlevania grabbed hold of me.
Unfortunately this game left me wondering why all other games aren't this good. I didnt want it to end.

Pretty good game - one of the best for DS.
This is a great game. I've not given it 5 stars because it's by no means perfect, but it is certainly a lot of fun, and once you get into it (which can take a while if you're not used to Castlevania games, as I wasn't) it can be very addictive.

At its heart it's a pretty standard Metroid-style 2D platform game, but it does have some neat innovations. Some of the bosses are rather too easy, and the final boss is rather too hard (in my opinion!) but overall, the difficulty level is just right - it's not too hard to get started, and once you realise just how huge the castle is it can be hard to put down.

I've seen other reviewers say they completed this game in 2 or 3 hours, and frankly I find that hard to believe - the game has multiple endings and getting to the "good" ending takes a lot of patience.

Once you've explored the majority of the castle, the mechanism for buying and selling goods, and using "souls" captured from defeated enemies to improve weapons becomes an integral part of the game, enabling you to defeat enemies far more easily than would otherwise be possible.

The music is haunting and atmospheric, and the graphics are pretty. It's not a terribly original game, and it doesn't really make much use of the touch-screen (hence 4 rather than 5 stars) but those quibbles aside, this is a good game, and anyone who enjoys platform games like Metroid would enjoy this.