Castlevania Circle of the Moon

🎮 Game Boy Advance ⏳ 12 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

GBA Metroidvania Foundations #

This Castlevania GBA entry was one of the very first games available on the GBA, and it made a strong impression despite its quirks. The MC is called Nathan Graves as he ventures into Dracula’s castle to rescue his mentor, offering a blend of classic side-scrolling action and the exploratory metroidvania design that Symphony of the Night popularized. And honestly, most the Castlevania titles, released after SOTN, was intended to be metroidvanias due to the insane popularity of this PlayStation 1 entry.

DSS Depth Challenge #

The game’s most unique addition is the Dual Set-Up System (DSS), which lets players combine two sets of magic cards dropped by enemies to unlock a wide variety of abilities, ranging from elemental attacks to stat boosts. This mechanic adds depth and replayability, since different card combos can completely change how you approach combat. A standout for me is the optional content, the Battle Arena is a coliseum-like which has a lot of combat challenges, I highly recommend playing it, but only when you are late into the game because it is very hard.

Punishing Gothic Classic #

Its difficulty is also steeper than later handheld Castlevania titles, with tougher enemies, stricter controls, and limited healing opportunities. Despite these flaws, this title is remembered as a strong and atmospheric entry in the franchise. It set the stage for future GBA Castlevanias and showed off the handheld’s potential right at launch. For fans of challenging action-adventure games with a Gothic vibe, it remains a rewarding, if sometimes punishing, experience. I consider this a must-play for fans of the franchise, particularly speaking, I can’t get enough of these metroidvania Castlevania influenced by the popularity SOTN.