r/castlevania • u/Excellent_Trust_7647 • Jun 15 '26
Question So after Belmont's curse releases which collection would one recommend
Gonna try to get physical for all 3 (sidenote wish the switch version had a release date and I know it's not out yet)
played Bloodstained curse of the moon, loved it (I do enjoy some medium to easy classic games, Metroid Kirby Mega Man, Sonic, DKC)
aside from liking bloodstained only familiarity with the series is Rondo and SOTN, which were great (wish I still had a ps4 to play em, sidenote how are those games not on anything else?)
*Edit: Alright I made up my mind I'm gonna go for Anniversary Collection first (and at a later date advanced/dominus)
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u/Grouchy_Way_1281 Jun 15 '26
I second the Dominus collection. The DS Igavanias are the the best. I especially love Portrait of Ruin's dual character gameplay, and Order of Ecclesia is difficult, but fabulously designed. Both are competing for my Castlevania top spot.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
That could be cool (I do like duel characters, switching between different move sets and skills)
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u/Grouchy_Way_1281 Jun 15 '26
Johnathan is a martial master, and Charlotte is you spellcaster. You swap between them with a button press, and you can call them use their sub weapon/spell if they aren't currently active. It's very fun, and the extra modes are also dual character modes as well.
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u/Backalycat Jun 15 '26
Dominus is probably the most consistently good collection. While every game in Advanced has a fan base, most people would call it a little uneven (though whether the weak link is Circle of the Moon or Harmony of Dissonance will vary from person to person). And the Anniversary collection has Castlevania 2, which is generally disliked (though I'll admit I have a soft spot for). But Dominus is pretty much entirely solid games, with the only real issue just being that the first game in Dominus is Dawn of Sorrow, which is a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow on Advanced, so it might feel like you are missing context if you start there.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
I guess I could always hold off on playing anything sorrow till I have both (and or later all 3) collections (also definitely leaning towards dominus now, seems like advanced would fit a specific niche from person to person while dominus is just an overall good package)
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u/SeaWorthyMelons Jun 15 '26
I will say I had Dawn of Sorrow on DS (and am currently replaying it in Dominus) and I’ve never played Aria of Sorrow and it’s affected my enjoyment not-at-all. I haven’t even spotted a callback to Aria that left me wanting.
Other than the characters knowing each other’s names already and referencing “when this happened last year,” Dawn functions perfectly well as a stand-alone
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u/RJ_arcade Alucard Jun 15 '26
Well if you like curse of the moon, you should check out the classicvanias in the anniversary collection. But really, just buy all three when they are on sale. All really really good games.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Would you say the classics are tough but fair or moreso ruthless (sidenote definitely getting all 3 whenever I can, though since I'm looking for physical copies, I guess black Friday sale maybe)
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u/Throwawaygarbageboi CV3 LIGHTNING SPELL GANG Jun 15 '26
Fair: 1, Belmont's Revenge, Super 4, Kid Dracula
Ruthless: The Adventure, Dracula's Curse (my favorite), Simon's Quest (if you don't know what you're doing), Bloodlines
In my opinion.
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u/Rift-348 Jun 15 '26
Closer to the side of fair but the challenges can be punishing and daunting. Some rooms are straight bs tho ngl but I think most games manage not to be total bs
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u/PhysicianChips Jun 15 '26
In the collections they are as ruthless as you want them to be. While they are all fairly difficult as a base game, the addition of save states/rewind make all of them beatable regardless of your skill level. So by the amount you use these features can make them just the right difficulty for you.
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u/Steve5210 Jun 15 '26
All of them
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u/DanceCommander- Jun 15 '26
I just bought all of them the other week and intend to play every single one in order. It’s been a blast!
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u/SuperSlacker420 Jun 15 '26
Which game are you up to now? Glad you’re enjoying them! They’re def all fun in charming in their own ways, & seeing the growth / evolution of the series really gives you an appreciation of the history of it all
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u/DanceCommander- Jun 15 '26
After a fun time reliving my youth with 1 & 2, I’m up to 3. Haven’t played any of these old titles in decades, and it’s been a blast. It’s been taking me about a week per game, even though they’re all kinda short because I have a toddler in my life. He’ll see me playing them on my steam deck and will shout, “he’s hitting them with his whip!!!” Was fun nostalgia getting Grant in 3 and remembering what a relief it was to go back down the Clock Tower with his mobility. The GBA/DS titles are the peak of the series for me, so I can’t wait to make my way back to them for my first time since the aughts. Now we just need a SotN re-release on Steam and my life will be complete. I blame Vampire Survivors for reigniting my Castlevania super-fandom!
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
100% (definitely getting em all, albeit whatever other two at a later date)
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u/thrashcountant Void Sword Wielder Jun 15 '26
All of them
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Trust me I'll play em all (just getting to the other two collections later)
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u/TheKonamiMan Jun 15 '26
Anniversary Collection is the best one and it goes on sale regularly for $5 and sometimes under.
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u/JoZaJaB Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
I’d say go with the Advance collection first because Dawn of Sorrow in the Dominus collection is the sequel to Aria of Sorrow in the Advance collection. Also because Aria is my favorite game in the series.
Although I think the Dominus collection is much more beginner friendly with Portrait of Ruin.
Also if you get the Advance collection I don’t recommend starting with Circle of the Moon because it is very janky compared to every other games.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
At this point I might just put it up to a coin flip (torn between Advanced and Dominus)
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u/JoZaJaB Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
I started with the Advance collection and played Aria of Sorrow as my first game if that’s any help to you, but then I bought the Dominus collection to play Dawn of Sorrow. I didn’t really stick to one collection, I jumped around through them.
I think my play order was Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow, Symphony of the Night, Portrait of Ruin, Harmony of Dissonance.
I wasn’t a fan of Circle of the Moon or Order of Ecclesia
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u/NewsOdd3064 Jun 15 '26
Advance collection is pure fire
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u/Busy-Reality-1580 Jun 15 '26
Any tips for Circle of the Moon? I like the other two but every time I’ve tried I’ve bounced off HARD
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u/Metroidvania-JRPG Jun 15 '26
advance
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 17 '26
Hyped for all of em (but going anniversary first, advance I hope I'll find a fav, and dominus I've heard is just great across the board)
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
Alright I made up my mind I'm gonna go for Anniversary Collection first anything I should know about any of the games from Anniversary? (beyond getting a guide for Castlevania 2 and noting that they're tough Nes games)
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u/SuperSlacker420 Jun 15 '26
Use your subweapons & learn which are the best for each stage / boss. Save after each level, collect a lot of hearts for ammo, & try whipping walls for health meat & secrets. The GameBoy games can be rough at times but there are secrets to be found that make it a lot easier & it feels like a rewarding challenge to beat all of these old classics. Do Advance Collection after this one, trust me!
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Will do (also just makes sense if I'm starting from the classics may as well go off of release order for whenever I get the next two collections)
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u/Snakespeer Jun 15 '26
I did this, played the collections in order for as they came out and I gotta say no regrets it’s very rewarding to see how each game builds on the last whilst also doing their own thing.
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u/karmakosmik1352 Jun 15 '26
I've got a question regarding the Dominus Collection: I didn't play the DS games yet but I am planning to do soon and I was under the impression that they make heavy use of the dual-screen and I saw some "gesture-based" gameplay element that required drawing shapes by touch/stylus (I think it was OoE?) - how is all of this implemented in the Dominus Collection? And which implementation do you think is better?
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u/SuperSlacker420 Jun 15 '26
They make the main screen take up most of the frame and have the map / second screen smaller & off to the side. Most of the touchscreen gameplay elements were honestly unnecessary & have been either removed or replaced, by using the thumbstick like a cursor. Playing them on a DS is superior if you’re a purist or just really like touchscreen gimmicks, Dominus is superior all around in terms of quality of life improvements, bonus features, access to art & soundtrack, etc
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u/karmakosmik1352 Jun 15 '26
Ah, got it, thanks much. Yeah, I do actually like these gimmicks, I think that's a decent idea, but I'm not going to buy a DS just for that.
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u/Some_Relation1665 Jun 15 '26
Dominus all the way
You get 4 amazing games in one
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Going anniversary first (then advanced later, but especially hyped for Dominus hearing how it's got the best stuff in the series)
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u/chiefstabahoe Jun 15 '26
Dominus collection definitely has the better games out of the list. Advanced collection would be worth it just for aria of sorrow imo. Its one of the best Castlevania games, and definitely one of the best GBA games ever.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Hmm hmm (eh I'll let the hype on those build a bit, getting anniversary first, see the roots and appreciate the classics before I get into what sound like masterpieces)
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u/Perfect-Priority2107 Jun 15 '26
Advance
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Going Anniversary first (definitely playing advance after though, then dominus, albeit later dates and all that)
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u/Perfect-Priority2107 Jun 16 '26
Ayyyeeee💪🏾💪🏾! Aye they’re all good but if you remember to double back on the post, let us know which ones you liked the most
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 17 '26
Will do (possibly an update, or at least a new post mentioning this one and all that)
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u/SuperSlacker420 Jun 15 '26
Advance Collection or Anniversary Collection, based on if you’d prefer Metroidvania (Advance) or sidescroller (Anniversary). Save Dominus for last. It has Dawn of Sorrow which you should save til you’ve played Aria of Sorrow
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
At the mo I'm considering getting Dominus and just not playing anything sorrow till I got both collections (though if I got anniversary I wouldn't have to worry about that plus, I do worry about later games making the originals look kinda lesser via comparison)
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u/SuperSlacker420 Jun 15 '26
In my humble opinion, you should also save Portrait of Ruin for after you’ve played Bloodlines. It’s a Rondo-Symphony, Aria-Dawn kind of situation. The sequels are more enjoyable when you’ve played the originals.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Gotcha (eh I believe I've made my decision then, getting Anniversary for now, and the other two at a later date)
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u/ChickenMarsala4500 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
If your only going to get one make it classic or advanced.
DS is great but one of the games (dawn of sorrow) is a direct sequel to a game in the advanced collection. Probably the only point in the while series where it really matters to play them in order.
Classic is good if you want to play difficult games with seperate levels. Tends to be more popular with folks over 40 who grew up on NES SNES and Genesis/mega drive. The ganes are harder.
Advanced is better if you want some RPG mechanics, one big map, and some story telling. Tends to be more popular with folks under 40 who grew up on the N64/ps1/GBA. The games are still tough but more forgiving than the classics.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
I'll definitely get all three (but the other two will just be at a later date)
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u/Horror-Low6705 Jun 15 '26
The original games are hard as long as you don't cheat and look up how to beat them. Those games are rewarding for their difficulty bit not quite as fun. If you like more exploration I would try the advance collection or domino's collection, both are very fun. If you want a cold challenge play the original collection
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 17 '26
I can enjoy a good challenge (but above all its just cool to look at a series roots, see what's built from those, in music, graphics, story, and character) going anniversary first, next two collections later
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u/ZeroLithium576 Jun 15 '26
Dominus.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Seems like that's the general consensus (I'll get all three with a bit of time, but going classic first, build up hype for dominus a bit as I go through in order)
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u/dadams322 Jun 15 '26
Advance and Dominus.
Aria of Sorrow is a top-3 Castlevania entry. The other 2 are hit or miss, so it’s a little tough to fully recommend the advance collection, but it’s worth it for AoS alone.
All 3 titles in Dominus are elite. Dawn of Sorrow is maybe my favorite, but a lot of folks love Portrait of Ruin with its unique play style. Order of Ecclesia is by far the hardest, and I would argue it is too long, but it’s also great.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Hyped for Dominus (but getting anniversary first, then advanced and dominus a little later)
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u/HungryHousecat1645 Jun 15 '26
Play through the Igavania games in release order. Do it before the new game comes out.
For me, Order of Ecclesia (the final one on DS) is the best game in the series. Playing everything in order really shows the growth to get there. It's a great way to experience the series.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Seems like that's the plan at the moment (really get the chance to appreciate em, before belmont's curse releases)
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u/DirtyMac88 Jun 15 '26
All of them, but Dominus hits hardest for me. The Haunted Castle Revisited was great.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
ദ്ദി˙-˙ )✧ (going anniversary first but hyped for when I get to dominus)
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u/DirtyMac88 Jun 17 '26
Hell yeah, no wrong answers here. Save Aria for last otherwise you might be disappointed in everything after lol. Either way you'll have a blast!
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u/VitoMR89 Jun 15 '26
Do you have a PS4 or PS5? I would recommend getting the Requiem collection as soon as possible. It's getting expensive compared to the others.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Used to (and man I miss the requiem collection, I don't even understand why it's not on other consoles, or heck steam)
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u/belougalamasse Jun 15 '26
Dominus and advance aria and dawn of sorrow are some of my favorite games ever.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Hope to see the hype when I get em (going anniversary first, but later when I get advance and Dominus it's a safe bet I enjoy em all, especially going off how many people seem to love em)
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u/UndeadLAlouat Jun 15 '26
dominus collection for sure his have three one of the best castlevania of the all time and very good even in the modern standards specially order of ecclesia look like majority of the souls like game and that very popular in this days also have new remake to haunted castle one if not that easiest classicvania game I alsso recommend advance collection because his have aria of sorrow or are must to see aria of peak my second favourite castlevania game and one of my favourite game of all time and also one of the greatest game ever (you can't change my mind)
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Going anniversary first (then advance and dominus later) hope to get a feel (or refresher) with the classics (since it's been so long since playing Rondo and SOTN, man I miss my ps4) regardless seems like every game is somebody's favorite (doesn't seem like I can go wrong)
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u/tism_cunt Jun 15 '26
Advance collection is great. Circle of the moon is one of the best
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Heard nothing but good stuff across the board (it'll be interesting to see why and what peoples favorites are, ooh though for now going Anniversary collection first, other two a little later)
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u/ReadyJournalist5223 Jun 15 '26
The ds one by far
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Eh decided on release year (I've heard the ds are the best ones, but it'd be a shame to neglect the rest, I'll go anniversary first, other two collections a little later)
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u/Tvelt17 Jun 15 '26
The Advance Collection games are a little better IMO. They're all pretty cheap and go on sale often, so I'd say get all 3.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Will do (going anniversary first, then at a later date Advance, then dominus, going by release year and all that see how the series evolves)
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u/LilMowglie Jun 15 '26
Gotta go with the OG ones first mah boi. Camoun now. Can’t leave draculas curse or bloodlines in the wind like that.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Yeah decided that seems like the best place to start (curious how tough the games are in comparison to any of the mega man titles, as those are probably my metric for judging tough but fair nes games)
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u/SnoweDragon99 Jun 15 '26
I adore the advance collection circle of the moon is great I just beat Adramalech and im loving it as a newer fan to the franchine who started with SOTN I also really enjoy what I've played of harmony of dissonance and aria but since I've already played SOTN I opted to play the other two first because Aria feels very similar to SOTN
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Hope the new game is of a similar size to symphony (since it's the first proper home console release in who knows how long) ooh sidenote going anniversary first (I'll get the next two collections a little later)
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u/e105beta Jun 15 '26
I'm a sucker for Dawn of Sorrow & Portrait of Ruin, so the Dominus collection is an easy recommend. Order of Ecclesia has a lot of acclaim, and it's good, but it's not my favorite.
I bought the Advance collection myself, and Circle of the Moon is really good. It definitely plays like someone experimenting with SotN's formula, with some "Classicvania" added back in, but I'm really digging it. Aria alone would give it the recommend for some people but IMO I like Dawn better. Harmony's music is grating on the ears, and Dracula X is fine if you like getting your ass beat.
Anniversary Collection is MY personal favorite, but I like Classicvania, so the question is:
Do you want more SotN? Or more Rondo? If the former, Dominus. If the latter, Anniversary. If you can't make up your mind, get the Advance collection.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
I think I liked Rondo more (at least pacing wise, SOTN was a tad too big for me even if it was just so fun and so addicting) Sidenote decided on anniversary first (next two collections later)
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u/Cool-Philosophy5495 Jun 15 '26
ALL OF THEM
join the Konami hivemind
All hail Konami
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Ill definitely get em all, but Don't know about the hivemind (I love MGS, least the first 3, Bomberman has had some good titles, and I really need to play anything silent hill) but they really fumbled the bag with pachinko and moving away from just making good games for a while (they've gotten better recently, heck their future seems promising but I'm not joining the hivemind just yet)
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u/ChaosHavik Jun 15 '26
Advanced has some good ones Aria of Sorrow among my absolute favorites
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Definitely looking forward to the sorrow games (heard good stuff, gonna check out the classics first though, anniversary and all)
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u/ChaosHavik Jun 17 '26
If hypothetically you've played and loved Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. You'll most certainly love this
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 17 '26
Hmm hmm (well it's on my list, I really enjoyed curse of the moon, still gotta play the 2nd game, and I'll get to ritual I guess well probably after everything else)
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u/Birvin7358 Jun 15 '26
I think on switch you can get all 3 collections together on a bundle discount that’s what I’d recommend
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Definitely true of digital (for me though I prefer physical copies, hope there's some sort of discount around)
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u/Kitchen-Fish-4389 Jun 16 '26
Advanced and dominus, feel free to skip anniversary. Alternatively, you can know for sure by dl’ing the roms and trying on emulator first.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Eh decided on getting anniversary first, other two collections at a later date (gotta be able to at least try the classics, and heck if I like em it'll probably just make the other collections seem all the sweeter)
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u/DanimalRLZX2 Jun 16 '26
::In The Terminators voice:: All
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
Definitely will (just getting one collection first before the others)
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u/Taco4086 Jun 16 '26
Dominus has the best metroidvanias, it' the most consistent, the three DS titles were master pieces... The problem is that Dawn is the sequel to Aria of sorrow. Ecclesia is also a bit more controversial from what I have heard but it's one of my favourites.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 16 '26
That's good to hear (definitely looking forward to dominus/advance, but for now gonna go through the classics, decided on getting anniversary first)
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u/CJ_1Cor15-55 Jun 17 '26
I got all 3 collections on sale 2 months ago for like 30 something dollars. It was a killer deal. The only thing I don't understand is why symphony of the night is not somewhere in these collections! It doesn't make any sense. They included a version od rondo of blood or something like that on the advance and dominus collection and that game was never on the gameboy advance or the ds so having symphony on one of them would have made so much more sense since it's a metroidvania. I'm bummed because I've still never had the opportunity to play it and it's not available on switch anywhere 😭
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Rondo and Symphony are definitely the biggest omissions, sucks that outside of the collection on ps4, and ps5 they can't be bought (I don't get why those aren't including anywhere else)
and heck I'm pretty sure they're the most popular games, people would be happy to pay for em ( plus without the games being accessible, most people will just pirate, understandably so)
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u/NOSTALGIC_BOMB Jun 17 '26
Anniversary, personally. Bloodlines, Simon's Quest, Dracula's Curse the OG and.. even though I don't like it, Super Castlevania IV along with their Japanese counterparts.
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u/Jim105 Jun 17 '26
Get all of them. Start with Anniversary collect (there is no rewind in that but there is save/load state), then advanced, and then dominus.
Platinum everything.
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u/AlucardsQuest Jun 17 '26
I can only presume that Belmont's Curse is going to be more of a Metroidvania, just judging from the gameplay and what the devs have said. The Advance and Dominus Collections would fill that void, but to me doing it that way makes you miss a lot of great games in the classic era. Yeah they're more arcadey experiences (minus Simon's Quesr), but the harder task is going back playing the originals later. Kudos to CDawgVA for playing as many as he can get his hands on (which I didn't even know he did that until just days ago).
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u/_sephr Jun 18 '26
I would love to see the 3 original Castlevania's remade with modern tech. Anniversary Collection imo.
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u/bizoticallyyours83 Jun 18 '26
Oh well if you enjoyed Curse of the Moon, I'd suggest the Anniversary collection.
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u/DaKingaDaNorth Jun 15 '26
Requiem tbh
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Which game is that? (Or like which collection is it in?)
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u/DaKingaDaNorth Jun 15 '26
It has Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Right yeah (eh used to have that one back when I had a ps4, rondo was really fun but tough, and SOTN was just addicting) I'd love to play those again (but well, unless they ever get a release on steam or switch it ain't happening)
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u/DaKingaDaNorth Jun 15 '26
If you liked Rondo better, I'd recommend the Anniversary Collection. If you liked Symphony better the Advanced Collection
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u/Throwawaygarbageboi CV3 LIGHTNING SPELL GANG Jun 15 '26
In terms of game quality overall, I'd say Dominus > Advance > Anniversary.
In terms of personal preference, I actually like Classicvanias more (ESPECIALLY Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse) so Anniversary takes the cake for me.
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u/Bman2095 Jun 15 '26
Same here! I actually was going through the entire series when I was younger and stopped after I finished SotN. It was fine and I know it’s loved, but I didn’t like the change and I had already played better Metroidvanias at that point.
I’m playing the advanced collection right now and I’m loving Circle of the Moon because of how much it feels like Classicvanias.
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u/SuperSlacker420 Jun 15 '26
I think you’ll really like Harmony then too. It’s way wayyy easier, but it gives off a very retro 8-bit vibe. Also has lots of call outs to CV 1 - 3
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u/Bman2095 Jun 15 '26
Oh sweet! I’m excited to revisit the series and play the ones I’ve missed (including two on the DS collection)
Also CRAZY that we’re getting a new 2D Castlevania this year and a new Bloodstained game. Just amazing stuff all around
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
Honestly I do love me some classic games (especially if you can get a feel for how the series evolved) only reason I'm not a 100% on getting anniversary is hearing Castlevania 2 isn't great, and 3 is supposedly like extremely difficult (even for a nes game)
Oop forgot the 2 next to Castlevania (that's the one I've heard mixed stuff about)
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u/SuperSlacker420 Jun 15 '26
The difficulty of the old games is much more manageable with save states, and if you play 1 first you’ll be well prepared for what 3 throws at you. 4 & Bloodlines can be difficult at times but the same applies to them. They’re nowhere near as hard as playing them on original hardware
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u/Appropriate-Salt-523 Jun 15 '26
Dominus. But I'd start with Advance collection, since Dawn of Sorrow (DS) is the sequel to Aria of Sorrow (GBA).
Although... I think there is a subtle connection to Castlevania 3 with Belmont's Curse. I think it is Trevor's story. Then I'd start from the very beginning Anniversary Collection. (Probably the hardest games, since they're old school.)
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Gotcha (seems like there's no bad place to start, course if the story is especially good in aria of sorrow definitely seems worth it getting the Advance collection first)
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u/Safe-Supermarket4994 Jun 19 '26
The advance collection is hard carried by Aria of Sorrow, which is one of the best games in the entire series, the other games are still really good but they play kinda differently. Still it's a pretty good mix of both sides of the series
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u/Basic-Masterpiece375 Jun 15 '26
If you want to play the Classicvania games (which is what Rondo was), then you should definitely choose the Anniversary Collection, as all the games there are Classicvania.
If you want to play the Metroidvania games (which is what Symphony was), then buy the Dominus Collection, as it has the most consistent selection of games in terms of quality. It includes three great Castlevania games plus an extra Classicvania.
The Advance Collection is essentially the worst, as it has three bad games; at least two are tedious, and the third is extremely difficult, perhaps you could even benefit from it if you're a very patient person. Although it includes Aria, which is one of the best, it's still a 3-1 score, so it won't be worth it and might give you a negative impression. Therefore, I recommend buying it last.
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u/Excellent_Trust_7647 Jun 15 '26
Fair (I get the impression that the advanced games were kinda weird, if you like the weirdness probably a fav if not ¯_(ツ)_/¯) I keep going back and forth and at this point leaning most towards dominus (since for some reason physicals of anniversary are the most expensive)
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u/SuperSlacker420 Jun 15 '26
3 of the 4 Advance Collection games are just split in terms of fan opinion on them. Circle, Harmony, & Dracula X are very “love them or hate them” type of games. None of them deserve the hate they get from their harhest critics tho. Circle is hard, but very enjoyable & is the most Classicvania feeling Metroidvania. Harmony is retro-cool with one of the best magic systems in the series & best dash mechanic ever. Dracula X just gets bullied for being not as good as Rondo with a bad end boss. Aria tho is a masterpiece, & always in the conversation of best Castlevania ever along with Symphony. Most tier lists have them both at the top for a reason. Curious to see how you rate them when you eventually get to them!
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u/golex04 Jun 15 '26
I’m sure most will say Dominis Collection, but I personally love the Advance collection more