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Soma Returns in another Castlevania Adventure!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 04, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Castlevania is one of those staples of gaming that after over a decade of titles has yet to get old. In fact, it seems as if this series (which exists in GBA/DS form as 2D games and on the PS2 in 3D) has had a recent rebirth. The last three GBA titles were excellent, taking the Metroid/RPG feel of Symphony of the Night for the Playstation and utilizing it in their own unique ways.

Dawn of Sorrow takes this even further, and I believe in some ways outdoes the masterpiece SotN. This story is the continued adventure of Soma Cruz, high school student who found himself in Castlevania in the Aria of Sorrow. Now, he returns to thwart a cult that would resurrect the evil of Dracula, heading into their castle to battle the undead and save the world.

Sounds kind of cheesy, yes? Well, Castlevania games aren't bought for their plot. What they are bought for: a massive castle, solid platforming, great gameplay, and tons of atmosphere... all of this is present here like never before. The sprites on the DS are beautiful and large, of similar quality to the Playstation sprites (indeed some of the more famous Playstation sprites make an appearance here).

The music is haunting, and the atmosphere is gorgeous as you begin your trek through the long and winding castle. Soma has the ability to gather the souls of enemies to gain their abilities, and this 'magic' system has become more sophisticated and useful even than it was in Aria of Sorrow. In fact, souls can now be fused with weapons to create new equipment to battle the hordes of evil.

There are a few DS features (drawing to seal bosses and break ice blocks) but really this game doesn't make too much use of the touch screen, which is fine. This is an old-school game at heart, a mix of the exploration of Metroid, RPG experience and levels and equipment, and the action and attitude of classic castlevania.

This is a game for the ages, and given how quickly Aria of Sorrow fell out of availability, I can't encourage you to get this fast enough. Buy this game, and experience brilliance of a sort rarely anymore. Amazing, wonderful game!

Best game for DS so far?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: October 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

So far, there haven't been too many good games out for the Nintendo DS. But this game really changes that. This is and excellent game that is difficult to a certain level, but fun at the same time. This is my first Castlevania game ever, so I can't compare it to any other games in this franchise (Symphony of Night, Aria of Sorrow, etc.) but I must say, this game is a perfect way to get me to become a fan of this franchise for sure. Now I just got it today, and have been playing it for a little over an hour. It is frustrating at times, but that does not take away from the fun factor. The sprites in this game are just beautiful. The graphics are nothing very special but give it a classic feel. The sound is nice and crisp (despite not having voice-overs). The controls are easy to learn and get used to. You actually have to use the DS stylus for this game (not as much as some of us would've hoped), but more than some other DS titles. The bosses are a nice touch too, being what would get any casual gamer (such as myself) frustrated, yet bring a great amount of fun and strategy into the game. And the maps are very extensive making the game very long, so you don't have to spend just five hours to beat it, it actually takes more work than that. The weapons and equipment are very diverse and quite intriguing, there are many combinations you can make and discover. The magic/soul system is probably the hardest concept of the game to get used to/understand, but after a while, it just clicks. The plot is awfully wierd, but that doesn't matter, because you quickly forget about that and get engulfed in gameplay, which is what really counts. This is a very good game and I would reccomend it to anyone. It has motivated me to play/buy/rent other castlevania titles.

Another Castlevania masterpiece... were you expecting anything less?

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 94 / 103
Date: October 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow (2005.) The second game in the Soma Cruz Castlevania sub-series.

INTRODUCTION:
Castlevania. Ever since its conception in the mid-late eightes, Konami's vampire hunting saga has always been one of the ultimate video game series around. The series did what precious few other games could do - they managed to keep two-dimensional gaming alive, right into the twenty-first century. This is a series that rarely fails to please. And sure enough, the Game Boy Advance titles were some of the most widely-revered titles in the entire saga. The most widely-credited one was by far, 2003's Aria of Sorrow. The ability for gamers to steal souls from their foes and change their primary weapon satisfied them greatly. Fans wanted another game like this, needless to say. And with the release of the Nintendo DS, Konami created a sequel! So, how does Dawn Of Sorrow, the second game in Castlevania's Soma Cruz sub-series, measure up? Let's see.

OVERVIEW:
Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow was released in Fall of 2005 for the Nintendo DS, by Konami. The standard game is one player, although there are some wireless connection things you can do with someone else who owns the game. At its time of launch, the game retails for thirty-five dollars in America.

The storyline behind this game is a direct continuation to where Aria Of Sorrow, the 2003 Game Boy Advance Castlevania title, left off. I'M STRICTLY COVERING THE STORYLINE IN THIS PARAGRAPH, SO IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED IN THE STORY, SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH. The game took place in 2035, and featured teenager Soma Cruz and his close friend, Mina Habuki, being teleported to Dracula's castle during an eclipse over Japan. As he fought through the castle, he met an interesting cast of friends, including Julius Belmont, ancestor of the famed Belmont clan of vampire hunters, Yoko Belnades, a descendant of a wizard who once battled against Dracula, Genya Arikado, a mysterious ally, and Hammer, a military man who set up a shop. Through his quest, Soma discovered he had the power to take enemy spirits and use their abilities. The previous game ended with Soma defeating Graham Jones, an evil-hearted man who thought he was the reincarnation of Dracula. Only when Soma defeated Graham did he discover the terrible truth - Soma himself was Dracula's reincarnation. Although he was able to defeat the dark forces inhabiting the eclipsed castle and escape it unharmed, it was not the end of his struggle. One year later, he was confronted by members of an evil cult who wished to destroy him so they could inherit his powers of darkness for themselves. And thus, Soma and his allies from his previous quest set out to eliminate this cult and the threat they created.

This game plays pretty much like its predecessor. If you played it, you'll pick this one up right away. Sure, the DS is a little different from the Game Boy Advance, but it's essentially the same general game play formula. You'll find all kinds of weapons in the castle, as well as enemy souls to steal. The soul system has gotten a revamp, and now you use multiple souls to upgrade a particuar skill, or fuse them with weapons to make your weapon stronger. The action takes place on the touch screen, because Konami has integrated elements of it into the gameplay, including having to use the stylus pen to draw a seal to finish off boss characters. The game plays like its predecessors on the Game Boy Advance, but brings in plenty of new elements as well.

REVIEW:
So, how IS the game? In one word, awesome. I waited a long time for this game to come out, and it was one of the main reasons I bought a DS at all. I've been pretty disappointed with the DS outside of a few games so far, but this is one of the reasons you should consider owning one. Did you like Symphony of the Night for the Playstation One, or the Game Boy Advance titles? Are you a fan of two-dimensional side-scrolling action? Do you like the Metroid series of games? If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, YOU WILL ENJOY THIS GAME. This is one of the few video games out there that old-school and new-school gamers alike will both enjoy. There are a ton of souls and weapons, and each one is totally unique. The graphics look excellent, too. Essentially, it looks a lot like the Game Boy Advance game, but takes advantage of the sixty-four bits of power the DS has. This looks every bit as good as a Playstation One game, maybe slightly better. Sixty-four bits could look better than this, but I'm not complaining. It looks good, and that's what counts. You never have to worry about this game getting repetitive due to all the diverse conditions that will be thrown your way. I have a few minor complaints, but nothing that really subtracts from the gameplay experience. One major thing I didn't like is how they just had to integrate the touch screen somehow. The action takes place on the touch screen because of this, and that may annoy gamers used to using the top screen. You must touch certain blocks on the screen to destroy them once you get a special soul that lets you. This is no big deal, but it's the seal thing that pisses me off. Once you "kill" a boss, you have to draw a seal with your stylus to finish it off. If you don't do it right, the boss comes back to live with some HP remaining. And you have to draw the seal PERFECT, or it doesn't work. This gets annoying A LOT. The other complaint is that you have to save your game at save points. SAVE POINTS ARE A THING OF THE PAST. Why can't game makers learn this lesson and let gamers save whenever they want to!? There's a soft save option, but you don't always have the option to do it, and it just doesn't cut it compared to the actual saves. Still, these flaws are miniscule in the big picture. Is this the greatest Castlevania ever conceived? It just might be.

Overall, I am EXTREMELY satisfied with this game. It's one of the redeeming games of the DS, a system which has much too scattershot of a library. But if you're a fan of two-dimensional action-adventure gaming with slight RPG elements thrown in, you're going to absolutely love this game, I gurarantee it. FIVE STARS. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

[...]

Move Over Belmont, Cruz is the MAN!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: October 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

What a great game! I am a 24 year old gamer and have withstood many horrible sequels, but this one ROCKS! The graphics flow very smoothly and the controls are great. A is special attack, B is jump, Y is normal attack, X is change ability, L is special move, R is magic, and of course up and Y is throw bone, zombie, cat, etc. All this to say, the controls are intuitive.

There is a role-playing aspect of the game as well. You can purchase new weapons (short sword, claymore, long sword, knuckles, boomerrang, spear, and more). These weapons can be upgrade by collecting the spirits of slain enemies. Take the souls to a soul grafting chick and she will infuse the souls to create a new weapon (sort of similar to materia in FF7). You can also purchase armor and items (potions, maps, etc.). You can level up by slaying enemies - your attack, defense, and other stats increase as you progress. Your abilities also increase (similar to Metroid games).

After playing every Castlevania sequel, I have found this one to have the best controls and design. Save spots are adequately placed, and there are warp spots to take you to different parts of the castle (no much time spent back-tracking).

From a DS perspective, the game does not frivolously use the stylus. In fact, I have not even used the stylus - I just use my finger for casting magic seals and busting ice. While the graphical capabilities of the DS are not fully used, it maintains appropriate graphics with gorgeous, fluid sprites. The graphics are not distracting - the are condusive to the gothic/vampire feel of the game.

Most importantly, the game is FUN! It was hard to put it down last night and go to bed. It is addicting, the music is engaging, the gameplay is superb, and the level of difficulty is right where it should be - not overly frustrating (nor too easy).

PROS:
-----
- Great sounds, graphics, and gameplay
- Intuitive design, smart monsters, excellent RPG element
- FUN

Cons:
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- $35 (wish it was $30)
- Hard to find

A Handheld Masterpiece

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: October 09, 2005
Author: Amazon User

For those who don't know, or are unfamiliar with the Castlevania series, this is the sequel to the much raved and highly reviewed Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. This takes place a year after Aria of Sorrow has freatures a lot of the same characters, most apparent of which, our lead protagonist, Soma Cruz. Initially assuming his powers he received from the castle in Aria of Sorrow were lost over time, he finds out that he is able to use them when he is in danger. Supposed to be the next Dracula, he refuses the position, and there are people trying to kill him to get their chance at becoming the next Dracula.

This is the first Castlevania on the DS, and it is excecuted very nicely in 2D form. The top screen can be switched from map to character status via select button, and the menus are organized very nicely. There are a lot of nice touches in this game, and I'll get into that later in the review.

*THIS REVIEW DOES NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS OF ANY KIND* <-- so chill

Graphics - Although I don't really like how they made the characters in the cutscenes and dialogues anime-like, it doesn't really effect the overall experience. It does make the game less dark and gritty, until you use a Falchion and slice a zombie in half. A lot of the style of this game comes from Symphony of the Night (PS1 CLASSIC!) influence, which is a very good thing. 2D Games doesn't get too much better looking than this, and even though the top screen doesn't do a whole lot, it would have been destracting if it did. It would have been nice to see Konami use the top screen to make larger boss battles, but don't worry, bosses are plenty hard in this game (I can't say more... it would ruin it for ya ;) - 10/10

Gameplay - Responsive, and easy to figure out, but they could've been more fine tuned. The few times you have to use the touch screen its pretty awkward but once you figure out that you only need to use it on very rare occasions and to seal up bosses, it gets less of an annoyance. Once again the action/adventure elements of the game return, with a few extras for the fans. Also the weapon upgrades and things like that make it very cool. Alternate endings make for different varieties of gameplay for later, and overall makes a very fun experience. Constant framerate and no load times are great. - 9/10

Sound - Great soundtrack. Weapon sounds are kind of average, but everything is really good. You get the creepy eerie music when needed, but is not excess or annoying. There are no lame chimes of any kind and is very appopriate during each situation of the game. - 9/10

Replay Value - Would I play this again after beating it? Yes! As previously mentioned, multiple endings, items, faster times, and more, there is just too much you can that it'd ruin it for you if I told you it all. Any Castlevania fan should own this, and any fan of action or adventure games would love this too. This is by far one of the top games on the DS. - 10/10

Bottom Line: The best Castlevania game since Symphony of the Night, as well as the best action/adventure game on the Nintendo DS!

Must get game for the DS

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: October 11, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is the first Castlevania I've played since the days of the NES and I'm amazed at the improvements. After almost a year of owning the DS this is the first time a game ever gave me thumb pain because I couldn't put it down. Dawn of Sorrow is a classic 2D hack and slasher with a large element of collecting. In this case the main character collects monster souls which can give him new abilities or better weapons using soul fusion. The souls are released randomly so if you want to collect them all it's gonna take a bit of time.

The control in Dawn of Sorrow is spot on although the touch screen is used rather sparingly. The main use is drawing symbols when a boss is near death to finish him/her/it off. If you draw the symbol wrong the boss gains some life back and keeps going. There is some debate as to whether the symbol drawing is awesome or annoying. I fall into the later camp.

Although the graphics are 2D there are up to three layers of background to give the game a sense of depth. I was a little put off by the small sprites used for the characters but as time went on I grew to like then love the way the game looks. Its slick enough that I may consider going back and purchasing the previous two Castlevania's that came out for the GBA. DS now has two must get titles in Dawn of Sorrow and Advanced Wars. It's nice to see the DS finally coming into its own.

Second screen is an enormous help

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: October 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I have thought that the Castlevania franchise peaked with Castlevania 4 on the SNES. Even now 14 years after its release I think the graphics, main character animation, and music were excellent. After that game the 2D releases never felt right, and I actually thought the much-hated 3D adventures on the N64 were more in the spirit of the franchise than the much-loved GBA games. The newer games felt like Metroid wannabes with an excessive number of useless features. I kept buying the 2D Castlevania games anyway because, well, I'm a sucker and always hoped for a game as fun as an old NES or SNES Castlevania but was always disappointed, until now.

I'm not even the entire way through the game, but "Dawn of Sorrow" has so far been very entertaining. I think I've finally figured out why I've hated the new crop of 2D games; the constant toggling between the map and the game screen just interfered with gameplay too much. The old games tended to be very linear, and without having to worry about your place on a map you could concentrate on gameplay. The newer games removed that linear layout to increase game complexity, but the map/game toggling apparently destroyed the best characteristic of Castlevania and made gameplay a chore. With this game, toggling from the action is nowhere near as common. First of all, the main map is always on the top of the screen. Second, the extra buttons on the DS require fewer trips to the submenus for option swapping. In short, "Dawn of Sorrow" successfully merges the fast action of the old games with the advanced RPG elements of the new games.

The game is not without its drawbacks:
1) Navigating the menu system is far too difficult. You will often find yourself randomly hitting buttons to navigate to different sections of the menu system and accidently deactivating features in the process.
2) It takes too long to get back to the game after your character's death. Instead of asking the user whether or not they want to try again you are dumped on the logo screens that come before the main menu. (I think the game's predecessor did this too)
3) The music hasn't been that impressive. It's better than what we've heard on the GBA, and better than most other games I've played, but it's apparent that the quality of the classy and catchy tunes of the earlier games are gone from the Castlevania series.
4) The opening animation and inscreen cut scenes are done in that cheap and ugly anime style. Fortunately in-game animation of your character and enemies tends to be smooth. (And why is Soma the same creepy gray tone of Micheal Jackson?)
5) You'll find numerous upgrade items, and many require a special upgrade in order to obtain. Once you get it, you'll often discover it doesn't grant you anything you don't already have. You can also modify the clothing Soma wears, but doing so never affects his appearance in the game.
6) Most of the touchscreen features haven't been that compelling, but the game doesn't really need them. Anyway, the use of the second screen for a map more than makes up for this.
7) More info displayed on the map screen would have been nice.

In short, this is a fun 2D game with only minor drawbacks.

The DS Game Everyone Should Own!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: October 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If you loved Castlevania Aria of Sorrow, then it should be made a national law that you must pick up this game! It takes off a year from where the former one ended, but it has been upgraded for the better, and unlike most other DS games, actually utilizes the touch screen to it's full advantage.

Soma Cruz, from Aria of Sorrow, has been keeping his power of Dracula sustained for a year now. When having a friendly chat with Mina, he is suddenly attacked by a derranged woman named Celia Fortner, a member of a cult that seeks to unleash Dracula's power and the only way she and her cult can be successful is by taking down Soma Cruz. A fairly basic plot, but it has it's surprises.

This is a pretty standard Castlevania game. You control Soma, using his abilities and several weapons to take on the forces of evil in a sadistic village hideout where this cult resides. As you go through you'll find new weapons, collect more souls and rise above your enemies.

You'll start off with basic items and weapons. Throughout each area Soma can use weapons such as a sword, a mace, a spear and plenty other to thwart his enemies. Like Aria of Sorrow, Soma can absorb different souls from enemies. Each soul has it's own priority. Souls are also divided into four categories: Bullet, Guardian, Enchant and Ability.

Bullet Souls are the souls which you'll use to vanquish your enemies. They're your offensive souls, mainly. Guardian Souls are souls Soma will use to transform into monsters and summon other monster. Enchanted souls are souls that automatically take effect without you having to use them, such as increasing your strength and giving you the ability to absorb HP from other monsters. And the ability souls are the souls Soma will HAVE to use in order to accomplish certain task. Each time Soma uses a soul he'll consume MP. Like all Castlevania games (with the exception of Lament of Innocnce) your MP automatically restores itself over time.

The really great thing about the DS is how the dual screens are used. The game is played entirely on the touch screen. The top screen displays the map at all times (something that makes the game flow A LOT faster), while you make all your movements on the bottom screen. Along the way you'll obtain Magic Seals. When activiated a shape is drawn on screen and you are to draw that shape as shown in order to unlock certain doors, and vanquish boss enemies. Needless to say, you'll actually need your stylus in order to fully experience the game. Not only that but in certain rooms you'll have to destroy crystals, this also requires the use of the stylus.

As Soma defeats enemies he'll gain money and also level up. Much like your classic action/adventure RPG. Each time Soma levels up he'll need more and more experience. He'll need to use money to buy more weapons, healing potions and other items needed along his journey. However, it may not always be best to buy weapons. Soma can synthesize weapons using souls. In other words, if you have too many of a certain soul, you can use it to customize and create better weapons.

Another really great trick is if you have Aria of Sorrow. Before booting up your DS, put Aria of Sorrow in the GBA slot, and put Dawn of Souls in and start up your game. Starting a new game with Aria of Sorrow inserted nets you extra items at the beginning of your journey and more story points.

Graphically there is perhaps no better looking side-scroller Castlevania. The movements are smooth, and the color is vibrant. Each enemy moves at consistent rate, and there's hardly any slow down.

Likewise, the music is incredible! Castlevania doesn't usually disappoint with music, and Dawn of Sorrow is no different. The music always fits with an area, and is powerful. Soma's voice acting is also great. Each time Soma swings a weapon, or sometimes when he jumps, he'll make a grunt or something. It isn't overused (like in say... Super Mario Advanced) and it's the same voice used in Aria of Sorrow.

The game doesn't present too much difficulty. It starts off easy and gets increasingly harder. Just what you'd expect from any game. At some parts it is perhaps too easy, but we can deal.

It was worth the wait for this game. It plays smoothly, and finishes with incredible awe. It's full of secrets and has a ton of replay value. Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow does not disappoint. Every Castlevania fan should get it.

kindasorta= moron

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 6
Date: October 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

the previous reviewer is totally brainless. most people enjoy stellar gameplay over pretty graphics in cr@p games. many people like myself are sad to see 2d games go, because i'll take a great 2d scroller like castlevania over the vast number of cr@p 3d games out there. nintendo is making a game for the people that want it. the sales don't lie...i drove around for over an hour looking for this because every games store was sold out of it. i'll take a tweaked castlevania: SOTN any day of the week. boohoo the gameplay is the same...that's why millions of gamers are still waiting for remakes of ff7, or suikoden ii, or zelda ocarina of time, etc. how many more mindless shooters do we really need? oh oh the ammo is stored in cleverly concealed bustable boxes? *yawn*

A perfect excuse to get the DS.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: October 18, 2005
Author: Amazon User

When you look back at gaming icons from the yesteryears, a few names keep popping up. There's the Mario Bros. There's the legend of Zelda. And then there's always Castlevania. Having wooed fans all around the world for almost 20 years, the legendary Castlevania makes its debut now on the Nintendo DS, and it looks better than ever. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, to put it simply, is an instant classic.

The events in Dawn of Sorrow are set in the year 2036, a year after the last GBA Castlevania game, Aria of Sorrow. The hero in that game, Soma Cruz, returns to fight another day. If you didn't already know, Soma is the reincarnation of the notorious Dracula, who was the villain from many Castlevania games of past. With an evil cult hell bent on using him to resurrect the dark lord this time round, Soma was forced to pay a visit to their headquarters, and generally take up the task of stopping the rebirth.

The process of taking on the bad guys, inevitably, happens in a labyrinth-like castle. The design of the castle is similar to previous establishments. Enemies, tough bosses, booby traps and environmental puzzles are littered all over the place, and as Soma, you'll need all your combat and strategizing skills to complete your ultimate objective.

Dawn of Sorrow throws in a fair amount of enemies for you to fight. In fact, there're a total 116 to take on. Some of these are new enemies making their first appearance in the Castlevania franchise, but many are familiar faces that fans of the game will no doubt remember from previous instalments. To fight these enemies, you'll be given a wide range of weapons. Depending on the abilities of your enemies, different weapons are required. For example, a pole that strikes horizontally may not be effective in taking out a flying enemy, but a large sword that deals a vertical, frontal blow will do the job very well. This basically means that you'll have to master the advantages of your weapons, or face the possibility of being totally overwhelmed.

Weapons are sometimes found in hidden rooms of the castle, and you'll find it worthwhile to pick up some of them if you happen to see them. If you manage to gain your enemies' souls during fights, however, you can cast them into your weapons to form bigger and more powerful weapons as well. This process of upgrading, called weapon synthesis, is one of the most important features of the game. To get the upgrade FOC by killing enemies, then grabbing and casting their souls, the game allows you to increase your effectiveness in combat without the need of spending precious gold on buying these improved weapons. This is definitely a welcomed feature for any player of this game.

You may ask then, what's a soul? Well, if you've played Aria of Sorrow, the concept of souls should not be new. Basically, by killing enemies, you'll get the chance to grab their souls for your own use. Not all enemies give up their souls easily though. In order for you to get some of them, repetition is required. In fact, repeatedly killing an enemy just to get its soul is one of the most mundane parts of the game, and for completists who have to collect every soul, the challenge will be even greater.

Apart from improving your weapons, getting souls also allow you to utilise the special powers of your enemies. For example, if you've the Skeleton soul, you can use it to throw bones at your enemies. If you get the Waiter Skeleton soul, you can start attacking your foes by throwing plates of delicious curry (!). Well, you get the story. While some souls are practically useless, some, like the Axe Armor soul (which allows you to throw flying axes), are very useful in taking out the various bosses in the game. It's advisable to spend time grabbing these souls if you want an easier time in the castle.

Boss fights, like fighting enemies, are frequent occurrences throughout this game. You'll usually get more powerful abilities after taking out bosses, again in the form of souls, which allow you to proceed in the game. For example, you'll need to kill the first boss to get the Flying Armor soul, so that you can "hang" in the air while jumping. This is essential to reach a previously unreachable area because a high platform is blocking your way. Environmental puzzles like this are common in Dawn of Sorrow, and when you encounter one, you'll have to ask whether you've the required souls to solve them. So, even when grabbing souls could be tedious, you'd want to spend some time doing it, if only just to get what you really need to progress. In any case, if you're really out of sorts, you may consider trading extra enemies' souls with your friend through Wi-Fi.

Soul-searching is not the only thing that requires repeated effort though. Recent Castlevania games have included a levelling up element that is commonly found in RPGs, and Dawn of Sorrow is no exception. Fighting (and beating) enemies earns you experience points, and gaining these points will in turn make you a stronger fighter. For example, an enemy that takes you three strikes to destroy at level 1 will be a breeze at level 10.

Enemies in the later part of the game are very tough, so gaining a respectable level will definitely help your quest better. However, as the game is pretty short in the story mode, you may not reach a high enough level to take on the game's more powerful bosses. As such, you'll need to spend time killing enemies over and over again to raise your levels, and this gets annoying after a while. The good thing is, while soul-searching and levelling up take up a lot of time, at least the enemies will always respawn, thus speeding up the process a little. Still, if repetitive gameplay bores you easily, you may find these portions of the game really tedious.

Apart from weapons, you'll also come across a variety of items in the game. This could include healing items (potions, meat strip, milk, etc.), protective gear (tunic, scarves, breastplate, etc.) and even performance-enhancement rings (get more gold, increase luck, gain more experience points, etc.) Some of these items can be purchased at a permanent shop, while others require some exploration. Again, this gives you the incentive to check out the castle completely for any hidden rooms. Apart from these items, you'll also get seemingly useless items like rotten food, which reduces your health if you take them. But then again, if you gain a soul that allows you to eat unpalatable food, the same rotten food can become a healing agent when the going gets tough.

The shop also sells items like periodicals, which include stuff like tabloids and maps. The tabloids will inform you about rare souls that hide in the background of the screens they appear, and how you can get their souls. These are important if you want to achieve 100% souls. But the most important periodical to buy is no doubt the castle map. The map will appear on the top screen of your DS, which means that the days of pausing the game just to check your map are over! This is definitely a handy improvement from previous versions of the game, thanks to the DS' dual screen.

Dawn of Sorrow also utilizes some the DS' touch screen, even though not in abundance. After earning the soul of Balore, you'll be able to break ice crystals that block you path by touching them with the stylus. The game also introduces the concept of Magical Seals, which are essential in completely destroying a boss. When a boss' health reaches zero during a fight, a magical seal will appear on the touch screen. You'll need to draw the seal with your stylus so as to "seal" the boss for good. If you don't do it properly, the boss will regain health, and you'll have to fight it again. This is a nice little idea that makes use of the DS' feature, but it's not entirely user-friendly for left-handers. Thankfully, you don't really need to draw the seal in an exact fashion. As long as you get the strokes right, the game will register it, and you should be fine.

The graphics of the game are also top-notch. Yes, they're 2D, but they're also as good as you can get for a 2D presentation. The background of each level of the castle, for example, is simply breath-taking. The levels are also separated by various themes, so you'll end up visiting an eerie garden, a creepy playhouse, a dark chapel, and even hell. The designs for each area are drawn to such perfection that you'll find yourself immersing into the background as you go along. Also, while the characters do look a little small on screen, the details on them are still amazingly rendered. The mood of each level is also aptly complemented by some great music. In fact, the music is so good that Konami decided to include a Sound Test as an unlockable if you manage to complete the game with the "good" ending. This allows you to listen to the various tracks without having to play the game. Ideal for enjoying them without worrying about the dreaded Medusa Head floating around on screen!

Recent Castlevania games have a similarity. They all have a "good" ending, a "bad" ending, and a completely "fake" ending. Ideally, you should achieve every one of them if you intend to watch all the possibilities, but you'd really want to achieve both the good and bad ones, because they unlock some really awesome goodies.

As I mentioned, the good ending unlocks the Sound Test, which is really cool. It also triggers a brand new play mode called the Boss Rush Mode. In this mode, you'll take on the bosses that you fought in the story mode in quick succession, and beating the specific time requirements will earn you special items not found in the regular game. Sounds good? Well, there's more.

Completing the bad ending will unlock the Julius Mode, which allows you to engage the current castle with characters like Julius Belmont, Yoko Belnades and Alucard, who're established characters in the Castlevania universe. Telling more about this mode will spoil the fun, so I'll just leave it at that.

Apart from these special modes, completing the game will also unlock Hard Mode, which is essentially the same game you've played, only with a host of tougher enemies and environment. And if you fancy playing the game with a friend, you can take the Enemy Set Mode, which allows you to design your own castle, and then take on your friend through Wi-Fi to see who can finish the areas faster. Regardless of what additional modes you decide to play, they've all been included to encourage replayability, and they should add to the 10-12 hours of estimated play time you can clock on the main story mode.

This game is named Dawn of Sorrow as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the DS, but it's really a dawn of a brighter future for the Castlevania franchise. Dawn of Sorrow has the potential to be the game of the year, at least for the DS, and it's not difficult to understand why. Great gameplay, impressive graphics, awesome audios and a whole lot of goodies to boot - what do you mean you don't have a DS?

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