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- Castlevania is a legendary series that helped pioneer the many concepts of the Metroidvania genre.
- Not too long ago, Konami was too busy turning its major IPs into pachinko machines to care that Castlevania hadn’t received a new game in 10 years.
- With the company back to caring about its franchises, it’s time for Castlevania’s return, too.
Gaming as we know it today wouldn’t have been the same without some legendary titles that pioneered many conventions we see in common occurrence these days. Gaming may have stagnated today, but once it was full of titles forever challenging the norm and pushing the boundaries of what was considered possible.
It’s because of this that I can’t help but miss those days of experimentation and unique titles one after the other. However, even among many revolutionaries, Konami’s iconic vampire series Castlevania stands on its own. And speaking of Castlevania, when will a new entry finally reward us?
Why it matters: Konami’s pachinko tendencies have earned it a bad name among gamers. Now that the company is back to caring about gaming, it should care for Castlevania, too.
Castlevania, A Gaming Icon
As I’ve mentioned, the importance of Castlevania cannot be understated. In a time when the industry was moving on to 3D and considered 2D gameplay design obsolete, Castlevania said “challenge accepted” and presented what is probably the most impactful side-scrolling action game.
This is true for the entire series, but specifically Symphony of the Night. In fact, SoTN is as much involved in creating the now widely used Metroidvania as the genre’s namesake, Metroid. When something becomes equal to the namesake, you can tell how valuable its contribution is.
A rich and convoluted vampire story featuring the iconic Belmont family, this game’s horror overtones and environments are as engaging as its versatile and genre-defining gameplay. Few games deliver the true essence of action-packed side-scrolling gameplay segments and non-linear 2D level design as perfectly as this series.
Castlevania symphony of the night is fantastic
byu/rimux88 inpatientgamers
From Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood to Aria of Sorrow and Order of Ecclesia, it’s one gem after another. Moreover, Castlevania also dabbled into 3D like the Lords of Shadow duology, which is certainly impressive but I liked the OG more.
Konami’s Dark Period
The last Castlevania game released was Lords of Shadow 2 in 2014. After this, Konami’s priorities changed for the worse. This legendary developer is responsible for some of the most influential and genre-defining games like Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Metal Gear, but this is when its fall from grace started as it shifted its priorities.
The new focus was on making as much money as possible from its IPs, even if it meant dragging its legacy and name through the mud. This was accomplished by pachinko slot machines. Konami turned its biggest franchises into soulless, money-making pachinko machines.
As if this wasn’t insulting enough, the tech giant soon set its sights on the emerging trends of NFTs as the newest money maker. The Silent Hill NFT game still gives me nightmares. Basically, Konami utilized every “easy cash” tactic in the market.
It makes sense that Konami is much bigger than gaming. It has interests in many different domains, each of which earns it a lot of money.
A Renewed Focus On Games
Konami never stopped making games for the domestic market, but its focus on gaming certainly diminished over the years as it shifted to the pachinko and gambling domains. However, after some internal changes, it seems the company’s back to focusing on its major IPs, and that’s a good thing.
From multiple Castlevania re-releases to the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake and Suikoden 1&2 HD remaster Konami’s back to its IPs. Whether it’s because the gambling laws changed in Japan a few years ago or if the company saw the value of the treasure it possesses, seeing these games return is a delight for me. Next up, Castlevania.
so is Konami back then? if sht goes well we'll get new games right?
byu/Wazupdanger incastlevania
A New Castlevania Is Long Overdue
Castlevania is as renowned now as it was back in its glory days, thanks to the recent re-releases and, more importantly, the brilliant Netflix animation that brought more fans to the series than anything else. Thus, the time is ripe to make use of this popularity.
It’s been over 10 years since the last Castlevania game. A remake of the arcade game Haunted Castle was recently released, and it has all the Castlevania fans drooling. Surely, a brand-new game can have an even stronger effect.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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