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Classic Game for the GBA

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is one of the most challanging, yet fair games I have ever played. I've played many games where it was challanging sure, but only because your enemy used cheap moves or was insanely powerful in comparison to the enemies you fought to get to them. Not in this game. Castlevania: CotM maintains a constant level of difficulty while remaining fun and rewarding. You aren't completely reliant on levelling up throughout the game (though it certainly helps) as a good amount of skill can see you through almost any battle unscathed. A good title for fans of action games and RPGs, this game is easily worth a 10-15 dollar drop in the bucket.

old school style fun

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 31, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I like the Castlevania series, so I have no complaints about this game. Controls are good, and it sticks to the tried and true platform genre.

This is the 2nd best one for the GBA

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First of all, yes this game is infamous for it's darker-than-any-other-GBA graphics. It is probably highly recommended that you play this game on a backlit GBA, the Gameboy Player or the DS. This is why I gave it the overall 4 star rating.

Now for the actual game itself. After the great but overlooked Symphony of the Night (due to the fact that Sony and everybody else, which is the audience, wanting 3D games), known for it's gameplay and amazing 2D graphics, fans wanted more so when the GBA launched, a month later, this game came out. some think that this game wasn't as good as Symphony of the Night. Well, even though their mostly right, but people have to remember that this was a game that was meant for a Handheld so of course it's not as pretty as that game. the gameplay is just like Symphony of the Night except there are a few differences. Graphics are good but a bit choppy, your Whip is the only weapon you can use, the Card system is great and has a lot of experimenting, the replay value is good, The Game is not quite as large as the other one (there were 2 castles in the PSone game), The gameplay is more of "as soon as you defeat this boss this is the next area to go to" unlike Symphony of the Night in which you can have multiple paths to go (make your own decision on where to go, but still not every place you can go quite yet), the EXP system is actually better (in SOTN, whenever you fight enemies for a long time, they go from whatever EXP points they have to simply 1 EXP so your maximum level to get to is 62 to be exact) but this game doesn't have that so you can go to level 99 in this game. Because this is the rarest of the 3 GBA game (the other 2 were rereleased in a 2 in 1 cart.), some people might make their price higher than 30 bucks so get it while you can. this game is Better than Harmony of Dissonance but not as good as Aria of Sorrow (or the other non-GBA RPG Castlevania games)

Challenging and dark Castlevania game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is just plain old fun. Its very challenging, unlike most other new Castlevania games, and really gets you into the adventure.

The special items you can obtain all make the game more interesting and the magic and card system just plain rocks.
You can change your whip into fire/ice whips, get magical swords and even summon a dozen monsters to help you.
The card system is what really makes this game shine.

Pick this game up if you really want a fun and exciting dark adventure, but be warned that this game requires a bit of skill to get through as it very tough.

hard but gets better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: January 05, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I reccomend this game to good thinkers and people who like strategy games and long action-fantasy games. I first had trouble with this game but then it became easier to play though some bosses are hard.(use Holy Water when facing the IRON GOLEM)I liked the story, and its better to use a GameBoyAdvanceSP or a regular GameBoyAdvance with a light to catch the good graphics.Its very hard to get all the dss cards(unicorn and black dog are gotten in the battle arena).To defeat Draculas second formI reccomend URANUS WITH THUNDERBIRD DSS CARDS.Its a very good game, so buy it.

Ack! Weak game.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 12
Date: October 12, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This was a shock to me. For one thing, this game was raved all across the internet. For another thing, I'm familiar with the series (as far back as the first three NES games, to the SNES one, and Symphony of the Night), so I thought this would like those. Well... the gameplay mechanics are here, it seems, but everything else...

Lets figure this out piece by piece. First, the graphics were okay. Even though they're dark, and even though they're a bit lacking in animation (only THREE frame to show the main character running??!), the style was okay, and it added to the environments.

The sound was nice, and the music was great, but everything here just seemed like it could be done much better (the music sounds a bit MIDI-ish, but the melodies are good).

The controls... here's where everything really goes down hill. I'm no stranger to the Castlevania control scheme, having playing the first four games. However, for reasons I cannot fathom, this game has by far the worst control setup of all of them (which says alot, because I've replayed the first three games recently, and they haven't aged that well). First, controling your character is much like controling a big wooden stick. While the same could be said for the first four games in the series, this game takes it to far worse extremes, especially when considering the enemies move so much better (in other words, they're attacks seem more suited to a game that has you moving your character as franticly as a Mega Man X or Mega Man Zero game). Also, the option to have the whip spin by itself became rather annoying. Unlike Castlevania 4, which allowed you to move the whip around by holding the attack button down, this one only makes it spin on it's own, which is somehow amazingly counter-productive. Some of the abilities are nice (high jump, wall jump, etc...), but they don't alieviate this problem much, and actually require over-utilization in some areas (trust me, you would never survive the final battle without high jump).

Now the gameplay. I've played other games that used the "Metroid-vania" style (free exploration, found in Symphony of the Night and Aria of Sorrow, as far as the ones I've played). Somehow, this one takes that system and just makes you lost. Seriously, this castle was not as fun to explore as all of the others. The boss battles (mostly refering to the last 4) were super cheap, requiring me to over-use the DSS system to the most extreme, which was a far cry from the more "down to earth" battles from Castlevania 4 and Aria of Sorrow. Much as I enjoy difficulty, I can't stand not being able to have a clear shot at a target with my whip due to the enemy being over-sized or too quick to dodge.

This is by far one of my most hated Castlevania games. If you even think about buying this game (since a lot of other people liked it), I recommend you find a way to rent it first. Otherwise, you may get yourself into a snag like I did. Lucky for me, this was only $15 at K-Mart, which is about as low as GBA games get.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: August 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

How do you spend a good time with your GBA? By picking up Konami's "Castlevania: Circle of the Moon". This is by far the best GBA game you can buy and with good reason. The launch title for the GBA is ranked among one of the best sellers on the GBA.

It isn't hard to see why this is a loved game. From the moment you pop this into your GBA you'll be swept off your feet by its AMAZING sound and incredible gameplay that goes unmatched by any other game out there!

The game begins when three vampire hunters corner Dracula. A master, his son and an apprentice. The master becomes imprisoned by Dracula and drops The son and apprentice into the depths of the castle below. Now, playing as the apprentice, Nathan Graves, you must explore the castle and find a way to get inside Dracula's chamber and stop the rite from happening!

Most noticeable about Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is its music. Anyone who's played this game can tell you that Circle of the Moon sounds INCREDIBLE! There is no GBA game that sounds this good out there. Some of the music is actually Orchastral and for the GBA that's amazing.

The second most noticeable thing about Circle of the Moon is the gameplay. Circle of the Moon incorporates an RPG style like gameplay. You run around with a whip that you use to attack enemies. For each enemy you kill you get experience points. When you get enough you level up and your HP and MP increases.

But the gold of Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is in the DSS (Duel Set-up System). This is perhaps the most innovative game idea presented in a title like this. There are twenty DSS cards in the game. Those for elements, and those for attributes. Finding all twenty isn't an easy task since the enemies drop them at random. But incorporating this system into the game is what makes it fun. You select one element and one attribute and see what happens. The DSS presents about 100 combinations and some are very worthwhile to see.

The other part of the gameplay that presents itself well is the exploration. The castle you explore is huge and well constructed. As you defeat more bosses and acquire more abilities you can explore even more of the castle. Much like the Metroid games, you'll know when you can proceed and when you can't. If you come to an area you can't get to its obviously because you do not have the correct ability.

Castlevania doesn't have bad graphics. For a GBA launch title the overall presentation is good but unless you have a GBA SP its a little dark. On a normal GBA it was so dark sometimes that I'd take damage and didn't know what was hitting me. The animation is also on the shorthand side. But that shouldn't suggest that Circle of the Moon doesn't present itself rather well.

The game is also a good challenge. It is not an easy game to get through, and newcomers to the series will have some trouble. But a good challenge is a good thing. The game is not too easy but it really isn't all that hard either. The meat of the challenge comes from the bosses and in any game that's where the challenge should come from.

Perhaps the best part about Castlevania Circle of the Moon is the replay value. Most games lack this but Circle of the Moon makes it worthwhile by providing new modes. Each time you complete the game you unlock new modes. Magician Mode, Fighter Mode and Thief Mode. Each mode has its own strenghs and weaknesses. For example, in Magician Mode you start off with all the cards and a massive amount of MP but your attack, defense and HP are severely limited. In Fighter Mode you have incredible attack, defense and HP but you don't get any DSS cards. In thief mode you have incredible luck! This makes playing through the game a second, third or fourth time a completely different experience than before.

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is perhaps the best GBA game out there. With superb sound and gameplay, this is easily a treat for any gamer and Castlevania fan. It stacks up perfectly to Symphony of the Night and more over, should be the Castlevania that all future titles on the GBA should be compared to. An awesome effort by Konami.

The Good
+Great gameplay
+DSS System is the best
+Good challenge
+Visually striking
+INCREDIBLE SOUNDTRACK. Among the best the GBA has to offer
+Of good lentgh
+Lots of exploration to do
+Good storyline
+Lots of replay

The Bad
-The graphics are dark on a normal GBA

That's actually the only con that sticks out. Enjoy, as this is as good as GBA games get.

4.5 stars - excellent game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: May 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Portable Castlevania games in the old days were horribly overlooked. Sure, the first Game Boy Castlevania was godawful, but because of it, people failed to recognize Belmont's Revenge and Legends, which were actually very good games. But at long last, Konami set out to create a portable Castlevania that would grab everyone's attention and keep them talking - for Nintendo's new Game Boy Advance. And when the new portable console was released in America, sure enough, Castlevania: Circle Of The Moon was a launch title. Read on for my review.

PROS:
-IT'S A PORTABLE CASTLEVANIA GAME THAT DOESN'T SUCK! All previous portable Castlevanias were plagued by slow characters, jerky play control and animation, and rather poor graphics. Fortunately, this game corrects just about everything that they did wrong!
-THE GAME, WHILE AN ACTION/ADVENTURE PLATFORMER, ADDS IN MANY RPG ELEMENTS. You can equip new armor on your body and both arms, and can even gain experience points to become stronger! Such elements are one of the things that made Symphony Of The Night one of the best entries in the series, and now they have returned!
-THE DSS CARD SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE GREATEST INNOVATIONS EVER ADDED TO THE SERIES. In this game there are twenty cards that are held by particular enemies. Ten belong to one set, and ten belong to another. You can pair one card up with one from the other set, and use your magic power to put the effects to use. For example, the Salamander card is a fire element card, and the Mercury card is a whip enhancer. Combine the two, and you've got a fire whip! This system is awesome.
-THE STORYLINE IS GOOD. Dracula has been resurrected once again. This time around, you play the role of a vampire hunter in training. Your master has gone to battle Dracula, and you and his son have been vanquished into the pits of the castle. Your partner is arrogant, so he goes off to save the day on his own, leaving you alone.
-THE SECONDARY WEAPON SYSTEM IS BACK. This system has been making the series great since its 1986 debut, and here it continues to do just that. The axe, dagger, watch, cross, and holy water are all here for your vampire killing pleasure.
-BEAT THE GAME, AND YOU UNLOCK NEW GAME PLAY MODES! There are multiple modes of the game you can unlock, and these add to the replay value somewhat.

CONS:
-VISUALLY, THIS IS A WEAK ENTRY IN THE SERIES. The screen is too dark, so if you're playing on a Game Boy Advance that isn't backlit, prepare to have a tough time seeing what's going on. Likewise, the sprites and character images aren't what you're used to seeing in a Castlevania game - this is mostly due to the fact that so much of the game was created in America, rather than in Japan - the mecca of the video game industry, where most games are created.
-MANY AREAS OF THE CASTLE LOOK ALIKE, LEADING TO MAJOR CONFUSION. It's easy to get lost in the castle, as you're going to find out many a time.
-THE MULTIPLE PLAY MODES DON'T ADD MUCH TO THE GAME. They sound like a nice extra, but really, they aren't. They don't make the game very different or help the replay value much.

OVERALL:
Overall this is an excellent first-generation Game Boy Advance title. The Game Boy Advance Castlevania games are some of the finest titles available for the system, so if you've got one, don't hesitate to pick them up!

Circle of the Moon ~ a must see.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: April 29, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you are a gamer who loves the castlevania games, especially "Symphony of the Night" Then you must check out Circle of the Moon, A very good game with fairly good music for the GBA.

Castlevania's Back!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The reason for my title is fairly simple; "Circle of the Moon" successfully pulled the Castlevania series out of a dry spell that gave us the mediocre "Legends" and N64 offerings.

The premise of the game pretty much remains unchanged, with some new characters thrown into the mold; basically, Dracula's Dark consort, Camilla, decides to kick things off a little early this century by resurrecting Dracula in the year 1830. Surprisingly, you're not a Belmont in this game; you play as a character named Nathan Graves. As Nathan, you'll explore Dracula's huge castle and collect DSS cards; these cards, when combined with each other, lead to an absolutly incredible number of special attacks. Nathan will also learn special moves from defeating boss enemies, such as the slide kick, the high jump, and the ability to break through stone blocks.

"Circle of the Moon" is the hardest Castlevania game since "Bloodlines;" with health-restore items few and far between and, with a suspicious lack of any merchants, Nathan is going to have his work cut out for him.

One other gripe about the game; it's incredibly dark. As in you need direct overhead light to see what you're doing. I suggest playing this on an SP (which has a back light) or on a Game Boy Player for the Gamecube.

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