Castlevania: Circle of the Moon GBA

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is one of the first Konami games released with GameBoy Advance in mind, and at the same time another installment of the cult series. Castlevania was launched on the NES console. In the following years, the title has been continued for several dozen years, published on various hardware platforms. GameBoy Advance has seen a total of three new products, as well as the re-edition of the classic saga. At the same time it is worth mentioning that Circle of the Moon is considered by many people as one of the best games in the series. One of the reasons for this is that he skillfully develops revolutionary ideas for the whole saga, which were presented for the first time in Castlevania, the game released for PlayStation: Symphony of the Night.

The action Circle of the Moon was set in 1830 and takes place in an Austrian castle. Once again, we must defeat Count Dracula, resurrected by the forces of evil. As we play, we take on the role of Nathan Graves. In addition, we must free Morris Baldwin, who is imprisoned by the monsters. The basic assumptions of the game are left in a similar form. We are dealing with a two-dimensional scrolling platform, concentrating the player's attention mainly on the efficient elimination of encountered creatures. In the course of the game we use the whip series well known to fans, but there are also many additional weapons. This can be, among others, holy water or a clock that allows you to stop the passage of time for a while.

In the initial phase of the game, the main character can only use a few basic attacks. However, further types of strokes are unlocked as the game progresses. Of the more interesting manoeuvres, it is worth mentioning double jumps, wall bounce options or spectacular slides. These actions can be used both during combat and in order to reach some secret chambers. Also noteworthy is the extensive magic system, which is based on cards collected during the game and at the same time randomly scattered cards. They were divided into two basic groups. Action cards allow you to select the preferred type of magical spell (e.g. force field). Attribute cards, in turn, give the possibility to make certain modifications. Just like in classic role-playing games, you can also pick up items found in the course of the game. These objects can affect the basic parameters of a controlled character, such as increasing their strength or dexterity, or even adding new skills.

The player also gains experience points. They are, of course, received for liquidating further monsters. Vampires mainly stand on our way. However, there were also zombies or other masks. Some monsters can only be killed using certain types of magical attacks. There are also exceptionally strong bosses in the game. The control is extensive, giving a large field to show off. At the same time, it should be noted that the game has a fairly non-linear course of play. Many problems can be solved in several different ways. There were also hidden passages or additional rooms with precious treasures. You can also count on many valuable bonuses to be unlocked once the game is complete. Visually, the Circle of the Moon presents itself extremely well. The spectacular duels involving various monsters deserve praise.

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Last updated on 10 December 2007