Celebrating The Belmont Legacy: The Greatest Castlevania Games Of All Time

Honorary mention: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Even though the sequel kind of took off in a different direction with its story and some of its gameplay elements, the original Lords of Shadow did a remarkable job bringing the classic Castlevania franchise into the era of the God of War style of game, thanks to MercurySteam (who recently did quite the number on Metroid: Samus Returns). Not only does Lords feature fun gameplay when it comes to solving puzzles and killing monsters, but it also has heavy production value, with a voice cast that includes Sir Patrick Stewart and epic-sized bosses that pose the greatest of challenges – even for a Belmont. And, if we're lucky, we'll see it in October's Xbox Live Games With Gold, so you can play it even if you haven't had the opportunity.

7. Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (Dracula X)

One of the more curious games in the Castlevania legacy was Rondo of Blood, also known in some circles as Dracula X. The game made its debut on the Turbo-Grafx CD system (and the TurboDuo) and became one of the greatest Castlevania games in history, with classic gameplay and an epic music score. The problem is, though, it was never given a chance on the U.S. market. The game eventually released on the Wii Virtual Console many years later, but otherwise, the only way to really enjoy it was to import it.

There was a modified version released for the SNES under the name Castlevania: Dracula X, and it was pretty good, but not nearly the same…although that didn't stop collectors from bumping up its value in price, too.

6. Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (NES)

After the release of Castlevania II: Simon's Quest – which somewhat left fans divided considering its new role-playing style format – Konami decided to bring the series back to the old-school with Dracula's Curse. And, for the most part, it was a very wise decision.

But the game wasn't just another Castlevania adventure, as Curse introduced multiple paths to choose from, along with secondary characters that you could swap out with at any time once you beat them in battle, including a vampire hunter and a pirate.

Oh, and did we mention how great the music is in this game? Because it's cool.

5. Castlevania Bloodlines (Sega Genesis)

Although Super Castlevania IV worked out wonderfully on the SNES (check this list downward to see how it fares), it also left a pretty high bar for Konami to clear with the Genesis Castlevania adventure. Fortunately, the team was more than up to the task with the moody – and equally wonderful – Bloodlines.

You choose from two warriors, each with different play styles, as you set out to stop Dracula's resurrection. The game not only features excellent visuals that make use of the Genesis' limited hardware, but also superb music that deserve a spot in any deserving game fan's song library. Oh, and the boss encounters are quite a rush.

4. Castlevania (NES)

Of course, we have to give a nod to the game that started it all, the original Castlevania. This game introduced so much that it remains a high point in our gaming history, from flying Medusa hits to hidden turkey meat behind walls to other fun little secrets that made the game click so well. On top of that, the gameplay is still legendary, and the graphics and music are incredibly iconic – and make this game a must play on its own or with the NES Classic Edition. (And if you don't have that yet, don't worry, it's coming back!)

3. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Game Boy Advance)

The Castlevania handheld games are often overlooked, if only because some players believe those releases couldn't possibly compare with the console ones. But following the release of Symphony of the Night, a genuine surprise happened – we got games similar to that for play anywhere we went.

While a number of titles impressed us (like Order of Ecclesia and Circle of the Moon), Aria of Sorrow stands out the most, mainly due to its incredible gameplay, strong storyline (in the future!) and beautiful presentation. It remains a stellar feat that we'd love to see repeated on console sometime – even if that means just an HD version of this. We'll take it!

2. Super Castlevania IV (SNES)

Easily one of the greatest 16-bit adventures we've come across, Super Castlevania IV pushes the series to new heights. Featuring a brilliant music score that makes fine use of the SNES hardware, as well as twisting levels that pack all kinds of surprises (like the rotating room of death – remember that?), Castlevania also won us over with slightly modified gameplay, in which you could fling your whip around and use it to swing across chasms. Oh, and those Mode 7 graphics really wowed us, too, even with the minor bit of slowdown. Make sure you give this a go once you pick up your SNES Classic this Friday!

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Sony PlayStation)

Was there any way that we could not select this memorable classic from 1997? That's right, Symphony of the Night is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and yet it still feels surprisingly fresh and bold, thanks to its wildly varied gameplay style. Taking place in a neat open-world environment (part of the reason the term Metroidvania was formed), Symphony packs a punch with its many twists, including one that will literally turn you on your head. On top of that, the music is epic as it's ever been, with a soundtrack that truly flows, and the graphics still look damn good, even after two decades.

If you haven't played this game yet, fix that. ASAP.