While the phrase is deeply associated with the Metroidvania genre now, the Castlevaniagames started as an independent project in the very same year as the original Metroid, kickstarting what would become a new genre simultaneously.
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Posts 2 By Alexander PineraAnd while Metroid has been relatively light on entries, Castlevania exists to the contrary. It has stepped into countless genres, platforms, and collaborations. It is a massive series, and one with plenty of ups and downs. And here's just how many games exist in the series.
How Many Mainline Castlevania Games Are There?
Beginning its long run all the way back in 1986 almost 40 years ago, the Castlevania series has basically never stopped pumping out new games in all that game. Lords of Shadow became a stain on the series that did halt brand-new mainline entries, however.
Game
Release Date
Platforms
Notes
Castlevania
1986
NES
MSX2 version known as Vampire Killer
Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest
1987
NES
Haunted Castle
1987
Arcades
Got a remake in 2024 titled Revisited
Castlevania: The Adventure
1989
Game Boy
Got a remake titled ReBirth in 2009
Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse
1989
NES
Castlevania 2: Belmont's Revenge
1991
Game Boy
Sequel to Castlevania: The Adventure
Super Castlevania 4
1991
SNES
Castlevania Chronicles
1993/2001
X68000/PS1
Remake of the original Castlevania, then remade again for Castlevania Chronicles
Castlevania: Rondo Of Blood
1993
PC Engine Super CD-ROM2
Got a 1995 remake called Castlevania: Dracula X
Castlevania Bloodlines
1994
Sega Mega Drive
Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night
1997
PS1
Castlevania Legends
1997
Game Boy
Castlevania
1999
N64
First 3D Castlevania game
Castlevania: Legacy Of Darkness
1999
N64
Prequel and remake of Castlevania (1999)
Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon
2001
Game Boy Advance
Castlevania: Harmony Of Dissonance
2002
Game Boy Advance
Castlevania: Aria Of Sorrow
2003
Game Boy Advance
Castlevania: Lament Of Innocence
2003
PS2
Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
2005
DS
Castlevania: Curse Of Darkness
2005
PS2, Xbox
Only received a PS2 release in Japan
Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin
2006
DS
Sequel to Castlevania: Bloodlines
Castlevania: Order Of Ecclesia
2008
DS
Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow
2010
PS3, Xbox 360
Developed by MercurySteam, who would go on to develop Metroid Dread
Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow - Mirror Of Fate
2013
3DS
Sequel to Lords Of Shadow
Castlevania: Lords Of Shadows 2
2014
PC, PS3, Xbox 360
read moreIn Japan, most entries in the series are under the title Demon Castle Dracula, rather than Castlevania.
From 1986 to 2014, a grand total of 25 mainline entries were released. That's even ignoring the majority of the remakes! So yeah, quite a lot to sink your vampiric teeth into. With the various Castlevania collections out there now, they're surprisingly easy to access.
How Many Spin-Off Castlevania Games Are There?
When it comes to spin-offs, Castlevania has much less than its mainline entries. That's an oddity for most series', though Castlevania has stayed pretty true to its original style over its existence. This is especially true with Symphony of the Night reasserting what the series did best.
And that is why just about every spin-off in the Castlevania series is dramatically different. Let's take a quick look at them.
Excluded from this are the various pachslot machine games, for obvious reasons.
Name
Release Date
Platforms
Notes
Kid Dracula
1990
Famicom
Got a remake/sequel under the same name in 1993
Castlevania: Order Of Shadows
2007
Mobile
Castlevania Judgment
2008
Wii
A fighting game
Castlevania: The Arcade
2009
Arcade
Castlevania Puzzle: Encore Of The Night
2010
Smart Phones
Puzzle game retelling of Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Harmony Of Despair
2010
PS3, Xbox 360
Castlevania: Grimoire Of Souls
2019
Smart Phones
We have gacha games, there are puzzle games, and hilariously, there is even a fighting game. Are these games in line with what defines the Castlevania series? Not really, no. But is it funny that they exist? Absolutely. Sadly, the majority of these games were not given the same love by Konami and as a result are much harder to access than their mainline relations.
In total, there are seven Castlevania spin-off games.
How Many Castlevania Games Are There In Total?
The Castlevania series is mainly remembered for the style of gameplay and art utilized in Symphony of the Night, though they have explored a great degree of different genres and settings. Aria of Sorrow is set in the future (though not for much longer), while Portrait of Ruin features co-op gameplay. The majority do still fall into the framework set up by the earliest games, however.
With all of that said, let's see just how many games there are in total:
- 25 mainline entries.
- Seven spin-off games.
- Giving us a grand total of 32 games in the series in total.
This number can shift around a bit if you want to count more of the old remakes, or some of the changed versions featured in the many collections, though that's a pretty solid number to represent just how many games exist in the series.
It has now been a decade since the last mainline entry for Castlevania. Considering the longest gap before that was only three years, it's been a long wait. MercurySteam has shown their excellence in more traditional Metroidvania design, so why not hand the reins of Castlevania back to them for another try?
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