Castlevania
Video game series / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Castlevania (/ˌkæsəlˈveɪniə/), known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula,[lower-alpha 1][2] is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise about Dracula, created and developed by Konami. It has been released on various platforms, from early systems to modern consoles, as well as handheld devices such as mobile phones.[3][4] The franchise has expanded into several spin-off video games and other media, including comic books[5] and an animated television series.[6][7]
Castlevania | |
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Genre(s) | |
Developer(s) |
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Publisher(s) | Konami |
Creator(s) | Hitoshi Akamatsu[1] |
Platform(s) | List
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First release | Castlevania September 26, 1986 (1986-09-26) |
Latest release | Castlevania Advance Collection September 23, 2021 (2021-09-23) |
Castlevania is largely set in the eponymous castle of Count Dracula, the main antagonist of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters.[8] It debuted with 1986's Castlevania for the Nintendo Family Computer Disk System.[9] The first entry and the majority of its sequels are side-scrolling action platformers, and were succeeded by the 1997 game, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Originally released for the PlayStation, it returned to the nonlinear gameplay seen in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, which introduced role-playing elements and exploration.[10] Several installments later adopted Symphony of the Night's gameplay, and along with Super Metroid, it has popularized the Metroidvania genre.[11] 2010 saw the release of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, a 3D action-adventure reboot of the series developed by MercurySteam[12] and Kojima Productions.[13]
Spanning over three decades, Castlevania is one of Konami's most successful and prominent franchises;[14] several of its entries are ranked among the best video games ever made.[15] The success of Castlevania can be attributed to its unique blend of action, adventure, and horror elements.[16] It has been praised for its challenging gameplay mechanics, atmospheric settings, and iconic music.[15] Its influence extends beyond gaming, inspiring a critically acclaimed animated series in 2017 that introduced the franchise to a new audience.[7]