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Konami has been teasing Belmont followers with various unexpected projects and crossovers, including in a Metroidvania-inspired indie darling Dead Cells. But now’s finally the time. The infamous Japanese company has released Dominus Collection, packing three popular games into one neat package for current-generation platforms. Developed by M2, best known for its high-quality ports and emulations, here are five reasons why you should get your hands on Castlevania Dominus Collection.
1. Dominus Collection Compiles the 3 Cream of the Crop Castlevania Titles for Modern Platforms
Castlevania Dominus Collection bundles three beloved games previously exclusive to the Nintendo DS for PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch, and PC:
- Dawn of Sorrow.
- Portrait of Ruin.
- Order of Ecclesia.
Along with Symphony of the Night, these DS titles are the three highest-rated Castlevania games on Metacritic. This isn’t surprising considering each game brought something new to the series’ table.
The sequel to GBA’s Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow features a compelling storyline along with the distinctive Magic Seal system. Order of Ecclesia, with its unique Glyph system, is thought to be one of the most challenging Castlevania games. Portrait of Ruin introduces dual-character gameplay, letting you switch between Jonathan Morris and Charlotte Aulin. It also has some surprising connections to the Sega Genesis Castlevania Bloodlines.
All three games’ last appearances were on the Wii U Virtual Console. Considering the platform was shut down last year, now is as good a time as any to (re)visit their adventures.
2. You Can Try Regional Versions of Each Game
Not just playing the trio of games, players are also able to switch between a trio of release versions: US, Europe, and Japan. There is also a Korean version for Order of Ecclesia. Plus, you can switch between Japanese and English voices for a more authentic gameplay experience. See if you can spot other differences between regional releases.
However, save data are separate for each version; any progress you made in the EU version cannot be transferred to Japan and US and vice-versa.
3. Castlevania Dominus Collection Includes Haunted Castle, the Previously Arcade-exclusive Game, as a Bonus
Together with the DS titles, the Castlevania Dominus Collection is also bundled with the 1988 arcade game Haunted Castle. It actually has been re-released several times but mostly only in Japan. Not until the Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection was released digitally in 2019 that overseas fans were able to get a taste of it.
Now the game comes in two different flavors:
- Haunted Castle: The original 1988 arcade release experience.
- Haunted Castle Revisited: Reimagined version with widescreen support, improved visuals and music, as well as tweaked gameplay mechanics.
4. Various Quality of Life Improvements in Castlevania Dominus Collection Enhance the Experience
Like other classic rerelease bundles, the Castlevania Dominus Collection is packed with modern features that make it easier to digest. The quality of life features range from common ones like savestates as well as rewinding up to 30 seconds before your health is depleted. To a more unique system, such as the dual-screen customization.
An additional screen is added for the map during gameplay that you can swap by pressing Select. In the absence of the DS touchscreen, players can customize button or mouse inputs for specific functions such as Dawn of Sorrow‘s Magic Seal system. Adapting the dual-screen controls gives Dominus Collection a fresh experience to conventional Castlevania and even most Metroidvanias out there.
Unfortunately, Castlevania Dominus Collection only supports Xbox button prompts at the moment even when you’re playing with a keyboard. A minor gripe but a drawback nonetheless.
5. Hardcore Fans Will Enjoy the Collection of Exhaustive Compendium and Production Materials
Lastly, any self-proclaimed Castlevania aficionados will not want to miss out on the bonus featurettes included in the Dominus Collection.
In this remaster bundle’s Compendium, you can see the list of all enemies, items, and abilities across three games complete with their descriptions. The Gallery offers FMV, concept and never-seen-before production art, as well as a music player with a playlist feature. Best of all, it seems the port developer M2 managed to cram the actual audio files into this release. That means, say goodbye to the crackly, compressed sounds of the original DS releases.
Those are the main reasons why Castlevania Dominus Collection is a great remaster bundle for both veterans and anyone interested in the series. Not too shabby for a $25 game, right? For more impressions of other classic remasters, check out our review of SNK Vs Capcom: SVC Chaos.
