The Castlevania series is one of Konami’s legendary franchises that has produced more than 30 games since 1986 and helped define the term Metroidvania. In the early 2000’s after the release of Nintendo’s new innovative handheld console, the Nintendo DS, Konami capitalised on its success by developing three original Castlevania games including 2005’s Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, 2006’s Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, and 2008’s Castlevania Order of Ecclesia.

They were exclusive to the DS, couldn’t be played anywhere else and it seemed they would remain in obscurity. That is until it was announced at a recent Nintendo Direct, that all three games plus two bonus games are coming to modern consoles that same day as Castlevania Dominus Collection, now available on Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow continues the story of its predecessor, Aria of Sorrow. After Dracula’s defeat, his powers were assumed by his reincarnation, Soma Cruz. With the help of his allies, Soma resists becoming the new dark lord, but a new cult forms to attempt to kill Soma and bring forth a new evil. Soma and his allies must ensure this does not happen at all costs.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is set in 1944 during World War II and continues the story of its predecessor, Bloodlines. An ancient vampire threatens the fate of the world utilising Dracula’s accursed castle and mystical paintings to open the portals of death. It is up to Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin to conquer evil in man’s darkest hour.

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia introduces Shanoa as the new main protagonist in the absence of the vampire-hunting Belmont clan. She is part of Ecclesia, formed to take down Dracula once and for all. Shanoa is chosen to serve as a vessel for the Dominus glyphs, however, her colleague Albus interrupts the ceremony, and she is left without her memories and emotions. This is her destiny and the story of the sacred order of Ecclesia.

All three games play just like they did on the Nintendo DS. They play much like all the other 2D side-scrolling Castlevania games but have some unique mechanics that set them apart, as well as their own stories to tell. Being ports of DS games, they utilised dual screens and had some sections that required touchscreen controls.

To compensate for this, players can use the right joystick to move a cursor around the main screen and a button to click. It can be difficult to be precise while using the joystick, especially when trying to write your signature, but it works well enough when it matters most. A compatible mouse can also be used instead, and the Switch version can use its touchscreen, offering players a few options.

In the original DS versions, the bottom screen had the main gameplay, and the top screen displayed either the map, character statistics or enemy information. The Dominus Collection has three screens, with the main screen on the left, the map displayed on the top right and the character statistics or enemy information on the bottom right. Altogether it fills up an entire widescreen television and players can change the arrangement of the screens if they wish.

The three main games are perfect ports from their original DS versions complete with all their unique gameplay mechanics, original graphics, dialogue, multiple endings, and full anime openings. Even with each game looking pixelated on a big screen, the animation is still just as smooth as ever and exciting to watch. Players can also change the region of each game from Japanese, American, and European, plus a Korean version for Order of Ecclesia.

Castlevania games have always been challenging and even frustrating for many. To help with this, the Dominus Collection adds a rewind feature and the option to create a save state. If players find themselves in a bad situation, they can immediately rewind and try again as many times as they need. They may only be able to rewind a small amount, but it’s enough to keep players from restarting from the last checkpoint. Creating a save state can work anytime during the game and is a handy feature if players want to continue from a specific part of the game.

On top of all the games, the Dominus Collection is jam-packed with extra content. Players can browse through the gallery representing the three main games and view hundreds of promotional art, concept art, and sketches, the original covers of the DS games, and every single page of their instruction booklets.

It feels odd seeing Nintendo logos on a Series X or PS5 console, but great to see the covers and instructions in all their glory. The entire music library of every game featured can be listened to as well. All the extra content is a nice trip down memory lane.

If players want to go further down memory lane, the original 1987 arcade game, Haunted Castle is also included. Players take control of the original protagonist, Simon Belmont, who embarks on a journey to save his wife Selena from the clutches of the evil Dracula. It is just as brutally difficult as it ever was and a real coin muncher back in the old arcade days, but thankfully this port requires no credits.

The other bonus game is Haunted Castle Revisited, a full 2024 remake of the 1987 game with a complete graphics overhaul while sticking to the pixelated look, almost everything redesigned, full widescreen support, and most importantly, much easier to play and not as unforgiving as the original. For some reason, it’s the only game to not allow you to create save states, which the original Haunted Castle can do. Regardless, it is still the ideal way to play Haunted Castle, but having the original is a nice option for anyone looking for a challenge.

Konami was one of the biggest brands in the gaming industry before shifting its focus to mobile games and pachinko machines. Bringing back their famous IPs like Castlevania as well as Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Teenage Mutant Turtles, and Contra has been some of the best business decisions they’ve made in a long time. It’ll be interesting and exciting to see what they bring back next.

The Dominus Collection is the third compilation pack of Castlevania games after Castlevania Anniversary Collection and Castlevania Advance Collection. Fans are still holding out for a brand new Castlevania game, but having all of these classic DS games available to play on modern consoles is a fantastic way to experience the history of one of the biggest franchises in gaming history. The Castlevania Dominus Collection is a must-buy for fans of the Castlevania series.

Written by: Sammy Hanson